Draft Watcher Knightmare's 2010 Mock Draft

[Pure_Ownage]

After Watson + McCarthy the quality does taper off.

McCarthy I'm not a huge fan of. Very athletic and could become a very good player, but he feels at the moment too much like a Grant Birchall in defence who almost plays like an oversized half back flanker. My hope with him would be that he develops more into a Ben Reid type.

Watson of the key position defenders is my preference of the pair, but for Geelong I think a late/rookie selection and a moderately priced key position defender like a Matthew Warnock for example if he isn't getting opportunities might be a type of player I'd look at as a Scarlett replacement.

Ruckman I don't view as a huge problem. Blake, Simpson and West are all fine. If a top quality guy becomes available then that can be looked at, but 3 serviceable ruckman is fine. Probably a rookie project ruckman could be added to this, but don't view it as a huge priority.

Yeah agree on McCarthy...I see a fair bit of Birchall in him, and we need a more solid KPB. With the lack of standout options in defence I still think Watson will definitely go first round, though some people have him sliding, and I'd be happy if we took him.

Hartigan late though is a possibility...I was very surprised he didn't get picked up last year and would be awfully unlucky to miss out again.

Like I said, Blake will be gone in 12 months when his contract is up thanks to the new rule, so we definitely need another ruckman to support West and Simpson. Whether this means Wells is prepared to use a first round to get Lycett with the other needs we have is debatable though...a late project ruck pick is more likely so hopefully there's some options at 57.

I would be happy if we ended up with Prestia too (I am hoping he'll be there at our second round pick)...there seem to be rumours going around that he'll go top ten, which would stagger me, so hopefully he slides.

 

[MickyCrow]

Good Read, and on a side note if we picked up B Smith and Rankine I would be a happy man

Good job

 

[irel]

Great work knightmare. just a couple of comments.
You need to change your write up on Heppel as you have him going to West Coast.

Also, IMO Brisbane will take at least one KP with the early picks. perhaps pick 25. I like Conca he is Hadley (Brisbane's Recruiting manager) type.

Andreoli in my opinion is unlikely to last till Carlton 41. Nether West Coast nor the Dockers will let that happen. If somehow he is not picked up by them he is a quintessential Scot Clayton type player. Gold Coast will snare him with one of their picks before it gets to Carlton.

Just some quick observations. Otherwise it's great work.

 

[Knightmare]

Great work knightmare. just a couple of comments.
You need to change your write up on Heppel as you have him going to West Coast.

Also, IMO Brisbane will take at least one KP with the early picks. perhaps pick 25. I like Conca he is Hadley (Brisbane's Recruiting manager) type.

Andreoli in my opinion is unlikely to last till Carlton 41. Nether West Coast nor the Dockers will let that happen. If somehow he is not picked up by them he is a quintessential Scot Clayton type player. Gold Coast will snare him with one of their picks before it gets to Carlton.

Just some quick observations. Otherwise it's great work.

Yeah there are a whole lot of writeups I need to edit. Will hopefully get a chance over the weekend + add more I have missed out on.

If Bris do take x1 KPP with an early pick it might be Lynch at 5. Otherwise might wait till a later selection because no guarantees anyone of value will be available at 25 as a KPP option. I'm thinking of switching Conca + Darling, so J.Darling at 25 would be a pretty significant coup for Bris as a possible J.Brown replacement. Would be a really big slide for the ready to go forward and a potentially great get at that stage.

 

[whatboutbob]

Yeah there are a whole lot of writeups I need to edit. Will hopefully get a chance over the weekend + add more I have missed out on.

If Bris do take x1 KPP with an early pick it might be Lynch at 5. Otherwise might wait till a later selection because no guarantees anyone of value will be available at 25 as a KPP option. I'm thinking of switching Conca + Darling, so J.Darling at 25 would be a pretty significant coup for Bris as a possible J.Brown replacement. Would be a really big slide for the ready to go forward and a potentially great get at that stage.

The Lions have stated that they'll be selecting a midfielder with 5.

 

[dlanod]

The Lions have stated that they'll be selecting a midfielder with 5.

I'd imagine the unspoken caveat would be "unless Day falls to pick 5".

 

[LemmingMaster]

Not sure what has happened to Josh Walker, but I liked him and thought he would be close to a top 40-50 selection. I would not mind Carlton getting their hands on this kid.

 

[Yoda_]

Hey Knight

Just on Hallahan

Why do you think he is so heavily under rated? why do you think he will slide?

Interesting to hear your thoughts. Was he not captain of the Vic Country side this year? Always hold a leadership role in high stead (although Kade Klemke proved that is a bit of a flop though )

 

[Blueboys7]

Great work and a really good read!

Like your selection of Aaron Young at 19 he could easily go in the first round. I think your description is a little off though as he is more of an inside mid rather than an outside mid as you suggest.

He is a tall midfielder who has the ability to fill roles on either of the flanks and do it well. Once he gets some size about him which will come when placed in an AFL program I am confident he will be a strong inside mid with great versatility and good skills.

 

[killerspud]

Firstly Knightmare - you are simply the best at this phantom draft business!! The write ups are really well put together. I've got two quick questions for you

First as a Hawthorn Supporter - is there any chance that Matthew Watson will get to Hawthorn and if not shouldn't we go for someone better credentialed than Aaron Young as our first pick (your write up of him isn't glowing for someone in the top 20)

Secondly how do you think the new interchange rule is going to play into the thinking of clubs - are we going to see players capable of playing more positions chosen in favour of specialists (ie a tall who can play forward and back or midfielders who can rest in the forward line)

Congrats again on your great work (you're not Emma Qualye in disguise are you??)

 

[Dunn - Well Done]

#21 (Sydney) – Jack Darling (WA)
Height: 190cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 16.6.1992
Recruited from: Sacred Heart College
Style: Jonathan Brown (undersized)/ Aaron Hamill
Range: 4-31
Why: Will be interesting to see where this one ends up won’t it? Strong marking forward. The standout feature of his game is his 2nd and 3rd efforts along with his quality forward pressure. Reads the play well. Strong mark overhead and has a thumping left foot and is a big bodied readymade KPF who could easily play from season 1. Has questions about his attitude. Possibly an early bloomer considering he hasn’t really developed this season. At his height it is questionable whether he will grow anymore, indications point to no because he hasn’t grown since the 2009 U18 champs. Tackles hard and aggressively. Bit of a body on body player, so with the step up it’s hard to say how he will cope because of his lack of height. Likes the contest. If anything he could eventually become a mid despite having played juniors as a forward. Was a highly rated junior, but hasn’t continued his form this season. Could become a star, or could become a big time bust. But whatever he becomes a club will take a chance on him. He is really one of the great unknowns of this draft in many regards.

Congrats again on your great work (you're not Emma Qualye in disguise are you??)

I wouldnt have thought so

 

[Knightmare]

Not sure what has happened to Josh Walker, but I liked him and thought he would be close to a top 40-50 selection. I would not mind Carlton getting their hands on this kid.

Josh Walker I expect will go in the national draft. Don't think he will go in the 2nd round, but from the 3rd round will certainly come into the picture.

Hey Knight

Just on Hallahan

Why do you think he is so heavily under rated? why do you think he will slide?

Interesting to hear your thoughts. Was he not captain of the Vic Country side this year? Always hold a leadership role in high stead (although Kade Klemke proved that is a bit of a flop though )

I like Hallahan too. Pretty ready to go player who is a player you get because you know he can play and that he will produce. He's in that bracket who are all pretty hard to split but my feeling he might go in the 25-40 type range. Very good inside mid and a very good value selection if you can get him in this range.

Leadership roles don't have a huge influence on draft placing generally. Usually players are drafted based more so on desirable attributes and if they think that they player will fit into their team structures.

Great work and a really good read!

Like your selection of Aaron Young at 19 he could easily go in the first round. I think your description is a little off though as he is more of an inside mid rather than an outside mid as you suggest.

He is a tall midfielder who has the ability to fill roles on either of the flanks and do it well. Once he gets some size about him which will come when placed in an AFL program I am confident he will be a strong inside mid with great versatility and good skills.

I have a few questions about Aaron Young but I think he might go higher rather than lower and I think he will be amongst those Hawthorn look at because he can cover a range of positions and he does add some speed.

Firstly Knightmare - you are simply the best at this phantom draft business!! The write ups are really well put together. I've got two quick questions for you

First as a Hawthorn Supporter - is there any chance that Matthew Watson will get to Hawthorn and if not shouldn't we go for someone better credentialed than Aaron Young as our first pick (your write up of him isn't glowing for someone in the top 20)

Secondly how do you think the new interchange rule is going to play into the thinking of clubs - are we going to see players capable of playing more positions chosen in favour of specialists (ie a tall who can play forward and back or midfielders who can rest in the forward line)

Congrats again on your great work (you're not Emma Qualye in disguise are you??)

Watson is a chance to slip through to pick 19. But he will probably be gone so Hawthorn will no doubt have others up their sleeve of interest.

On Young some recruiters are adamant that he will be a top 20 selection. Others feel he is a 2nd rounder.
Personally I'm not 100% sold, but with that said I think he will go higher rather than lower and that he will be one of the players Hawthorn look at closely because he is an appropriate fit.

The main change I think we will see with the new interchange rule is that most teams (minus perhaps West Coast with Cox + Nic Nat and a few others with star ruckman) reducing their ruck stocks down to one primary ruckman, then having a Leigh Brown type as a backup who can play another role well perhaps as a forward or defender then play perhaps 20% ruck when the primary ruckman needs relieving.

I expect the 4th man of most teams will either be a versatile type who can play a number of different roles or possibly an additional midfielder who can inject some energy into the game.

 

[GoldenboyHird_5]

This Knightmare character certainly is matching the scouting efforts of a certain Colin Wisbey.

Some excellent analysis and insight into what we should expect come November, well done Knight!

 

[Knightmare]

This Knightmare character certainly is matching the scouting efforts of a certain Colin Wisbey.

Some excellent analysis and insight into what we should expect come November, well done Knight!

Thanks for the positive feedback.

Although not all my reviews sound completely balanced I'm ordering based on how I think clubs might draft, and then giving some of my own insight to give other footy fans an insight into some of the players who you might be seeing on AFL lists next year.

 

[Knightmare]

Added and updated some descriptions.

For the time being I'm going to keep the order pretty much as is unless some drastic changes occur. The bottom end selections I'm still playing around with to an extent so I might put off adding descriptions for the time being, but the top end selections I don't feel a great need to change significantly.

 

[Gazza_11]

Hmm, I'm almost certain we'll take Darling or Cook at 12. If Lynch or Gorringe are available we'd snap them up.

 

[Knightmare]

Hmm, I'm almost certain we'll take Darling or Cook at 12. If Lynch or Gorringe are available we'd snap them up.

Gorringe is a ruckman, but I doubt he will be available. And don't think Lynch will be available either. Both are near certain top 10 selections.

Darling and Cook are both interesting. Both are certainly possibilities but my feeling is Melbourne will go best available in the 1st round and KPP in the 2nd because both Darling and Cook could both go 10 selections later and there are better selections available. One or both of these could very well slide into the 2nd round.

Ben Jacobs I think is very much a best available and I think he will play from season 1.

A little surprised to see Jacobs not feature in some 1st rounds. I expect he will do a Jordan Gysberts and go higher rather than lower.

 

[roodav]

Has there been some indication that we are interested in Karnezis? I noticed a couple of mocks have him going to North but can't see it, we took an extra medium forward in trade week to challenge Edwards and Warren and the club should be looking to get Black & O'Keefe involved this year and they will probably be looking at a 3rd tall/flanker roll. IMO we will be looking for a mid, preferably with pace, and don't be surprised if we take Isaac Smith with our compo pick, thats if Freo don't nab him first, can't see him lasting to the 70's.

 

[1jasonoz]

Rubbish mock draft for North, you have us picking up a type of player at 17 we don't need (mid sized forward; we have no need to draft another), and overlooking the type we do need (pacy skilled mids), and then you haven't even included our 2nd pick in the draft!!!

 

[Knightmare]

Has there been some indication that we are interested in Karnezis? I noticed a couple of mocks have him going to North but can't see it, we took an extra medium forward in trade week to challenge Edwards and Warren and the club should be looking to get Black & O'Keefe involved this year and they will probably be looking at a 3rd tall/flanker roll. IMO we will be looking for a mid, preferably with pace, and don't be surprised if we take Isaac Smith with our compo pick, thats if Freo don't nab him first, can't see him lasting to the 70's.

Addressing Karnezis he adds something of a little bit of a different mold. Many of your medium options I have found fairly unimpressive up forward, Black might play closer to goal at some point down the road but he will still take some time and Warren is looking good, but Karnezis is more than anything a complimentary player to those other forwards who could very much fit around them and provide a different look while also complimenting team structures as a tall, strong marking high half forward. Has a bit of creativity and good footy smarts, so at this stage he isn't a bad selection at all.

Jayden Pitt is the other good fit, but physically he will take longer to develop and your midfield with Richardson has already been upgraded, so going for a player you like in the 1st round (just speculating it could be Karnezis) then going for another mid late might certainly be an option.

North Melbourne will make the right call for themselves in any case. But adding two ready made mids would be a nice coup and might just push North Melbourne into the top 8, another mid is certainly a possibility and maybe they do it, but the need would be addressed pretty well with Richardson and Smith in any case.

Rubbish mock draft for North, you have us picking up a type of player at 17 we don't need (mid sized forward; we have no need to draft another), and overlooking the type we do need (pacy skilled mids), and then you haven't even included our 2nd pick in the draft!!!

As a mids Isaac Smith might be looked at later if available, he had a fantastic season at VFL level and really showed great development. As a late option he will add just what North are looking for.

Also your 2nd round pick was traded for Cameron Richardson who is a mature ager from North Ballarat who has had a very good season. Richardson is a half back flanker who will also be used on a wing. So Richardson and Smith provide immediate outside help, Richardson in particular is likely to play from round 1.

 

[Powerade 08]

Can't agree with your first pick for Port (We have far too many shutdown players and defensive mids) but this is a really good write up. I'll probably come back and look through it to find info on the guys we draft.

 

[borrat]

another great draft for brisbane especially with darling at 25

but you will have to change pick 27 because as im sure you know wilkinson has gone to the gold coast my ideal pick would be andreoli whats your opinion on that?

 

[Knightmare]

Can't agree with your first pick for Port (We have far too many shutdown players and defensive mids) but this is a really good write up. I'll probably come back and look through it to find info on the guys we draft.

The next two selections for Port Adelaide are much different, so there is a bit of variety.

Fasolo is a handy goal kicking mid who is strong overhead and very good kick + decision maker.

Then Viv Michie is a well rounded outside type who can play wing, half forward or half back well. Again good footskills and decision making very good.

another great draft for brisbane especially with darling at 25

but you will have to change pick 27 because as im sure you know wilkinson has gone to the gold coast my ideal pick would be andreoli whats your opinion on that?

Darling if he does make it to 25 is a real bargain who could potentially be a great pickup.

Once I get confirmation Wilkinson and or Hickey go to the Gold Coast with zone selections, will then adjust order.

Andreoli I feel is more of a mid-late 2nd rounder. Still could be an option but if you take Heppell at pick 5 you probably don't need another back flanker.

 

[borrat]

The next two selections for Port Adelaide are much different, so there is a bit of variety.

Fasolo is a handy goal kicking mid who is strong overhead and very good kick + decision maker.

Then Viv Michie is a well rounded outside type who can play wing, half forward or half back well. Again good footskills and decision making very good.



Darling if he does make it to 25 is a real bargain who could potentially be a great pickup.

Once I get confirmation Wilkinson and or Hickey go to the Gold Coast with zone selections, will then adjust order.

Andreoli I feel is more of a mid-late 2nd rounder. Still could be an option but if you take Heppell at pick 5 you probably don't need another back flanker.

i thought adreoli was a midfielder but obviously not

who would be a quick outside midfielder for brisbane to get???

 

[Knightmare]

i thought adreoli was a midfielder but obviously not

who would be a quick outside midfielder for brisbane to get???

Sorry. Just to clarify Andreoli is an outside mid. My feeling is with his skillset he could play both some wing and half back well.

Very much a fit of that variety could certainly come under consideration.

If/when Wilkinson gets officially gets picked up as a zone selection for GCS will do a slight order reshuffle.

Crocker might be one I'd look to move up a selection, but certainly Andreoli is another possibility.