Arguement for: Comes from a basketball background so the upside is there and skills are very much transferrable. Athletically very, very good. Can play a variety of roles up forward. Moves really well for someone his size. Very strong mark overhead and can mark at the highest point. Had a bit of a late growth spurt and has gone from around 194cm during the u18 champs up to around 199cm now, so physically I'd say by both his late growth and improvement this season that there is allot of improvement left in him.
Arguement against: Unproven. Can he become a dominant KPF? Really just a potential pick over known output.
Can improve kicking, add size, defensive side of his game, but that isn't so say those aspects of his game are bad either.
Why I say he could be a good fit is that he is a different player to Riewoldt or Griffiths. Griff is a big bodied, strong forward. Jack is your natural forward with a great footy brain and Lynch is interesting as an athletic KPF.
A system could be worked out where in the future all 3 possibly play, and then one of Griffiths or Lynch become backup ruck.
Many possibilities with the combinations.
Best mid at 6, I think Richmond might look at Polec as the other possibility assumed Heppell is taken if they want to go for a mid. Good outside option and with Tambling gone I think he could be a nice addition.
Lots have different views on Barham but I really like him. For Richmond I think he can play from season 1.
His story is that he was a late starter to footy, then in season 1 was out for the season with injury.
Season 2 he looked really promising and made his debut mid season against Brisbane and was B.O.G. He won the game with his tackling pressure and got nearly 30 disposals from memory.
Season 3 (this year), had an fantastic start to the season at VFL level and probably deserved a chance early, but was unfortunate. His 2nd half of the season was ok without being fantastic but he was never a chance because our best 22 pretty much stuck after the mid season break anyway.
On Barham and plan to do a write up:
Strengths: Has an incredible combination of speed and endurance. Has real explosiveness and can run all day, so pretty unique great in both areas. His tackling pressure is first rate and defensively can impact games in the way Dale Thomas has this year with his pressure game. Has a very high work rate. Real energy player and team lifter defensively, so when he is playing well you can really feel he is having a significant influence on the contest.
Weaknesses: Kicking (could only kick on one side, towards the end of the season was learning to become more duel sided and started gaining confidence, not too bad now), decision making is usually his main criticism but it is improving (likely to always be a relative weakness, but no player is perfect), handballing (not always on target so with more practise it can still get better), also has a fairly slight body but he will continue to put on size and is still young so I don't consider this to be a problem at all.
Role: Outside midfielder who can be a St Kilda style role player. He will probably always be a slightly floored player, but that doesn't mean he can't be a highly productive player or a difference maker. Adds some great burst speed offensively, and defensively will tackle like a machine and make all your other midfielders look much better.
Griffiths Richmond have lots of confidence in. Very solid kid and will be interesting to see if he can develop. Injuries are the major problem for him. No guarantee to develop into the monster we hope he will, but certainly if he can keep his body right will be given every chance.
He sounds very impressive Tom Lynch .You may have a point also that we will take KP at 6 as we recruited Grigg and Houli to come so maybe that's why we can afford to KP at 6 and then a midfielder at 30.Our midfield stocks arent to bad I guess it all depends who is there at 6 and as we said best avaiable.Would you use the compensation pick in this draft pick 26 or wait till 2012 and it will be pick 19?.What a your views on Houli I reckon he is a great get just needs oppurtunity.