Draft Watcher Knightmare's 2013 phantom draft

[Rancid Trogs]

And here's a question for anyone in the know regarding Willie Rioli.

Can we get a clear description on him as a player. We've basically only heard 'body shape issues' and 'highly skilled small forward'. But that doesn't paint a clear picture.

How does he go speed wise? How are his hands at ground level? What's his decision making like? Tackling? Kicking (set shot, shots from general play, field kicking)? Evasiveness?

Cheers in advance

 

[Knightmare]

Knightmare,

Given GWS position with seemingly an abundance of forward talent (Cameron/Patton/Jaksch and probably Franklin) do you think they would be wise to give up pick 1 for a star mature player or players or take the stand out in Boyd??

By all reports Boyd is a better version of Patton but with the ability to pinch hit in the ruck (one of our biggest weaknesses).

Would we be too top heavy with another key forward or could one or more be converted into key defenders?? Patton is such a good mark but not an elite kick, could he be that player or would that be a wasted resource??

Looking at our team I think we lack a mature bodied midfielder (Josh Kennedy type), a nippy goalsneak (Jake Neade), gorilla defender (Heath Grundy) and a ruckman (Shane Mumford). If we could bring in 3 or 4 players like this to supplement our existing talent I think we would be super competitive very quickly.

How do you rate Boyd not only against other key forwards but against previous number 1 picks??

My concern with Patton is that he is coming back from an ACL. Will he be the same player??, will he lose that quickness?? Will he end up like Kruezer?? With that prospect shouldn't we buy insurance and if we're overstocked trade out next year??

Looking over history when teams like Fremantly traded early picks it rarely ended well. Having said that if we could use pick 1 to lure a Shane Mumford or Ryan Griffen across maybe it's worth it.

What do you think will eventuate?

My guess is GWS will not trade the no.1 overall selection and take Boyd anyway.

As with Gold Coast with their ruckmen there is no hurry to move them on.

As St Kilda showed making a big and in my view over the top play for Tom Hickey spending a first round selection for a still developing and unproven tall GWS likewise with their collect of KPPs will have a collect of very valueable assets that a club will at some stage overpay for because there are so few elite key forwards in the competition.

There is no rush for GWS to move any of their talls on. They are not in win now mode and have the luxury to compile assets. They can add Franklin and Boyd pretty easily. Play Franklin on a wing, have Cameron and Boyd as key forwards and Patton recovering from his ACL. And just offload a Patton or Jaksch at a later date when a club desperate for a KPP make a big play for one of their talls and then add more future draft selections to fill out whatever holes are remaining on the list at a later date.

It's a great situation to be in.


Boyd in my view is better than many of the recent no.1 overall selections. I'd take him ahead of Whitfield, Patton, Swallow, Scully and Watts. Patton is the one he'll be compared to of the group but he's just as dominant if not a touch more but comes in without the injury issues.

I don't think Patton becomes Kreuzer. His knee is not degenerative. Quickness isn't vital to his game but the key with him that makes him unique is his short steps at his size are really unique allowing him to change direction so he'll be fine in that respect. He's not getting any shorter or smaller and won't lose his hands overhead so he'll be fine. He still has the opportunity to become a top 5-10 key forward so even if he does have issues after this season a club will still pay big currency for him if it turns out Boyd becomes the better of the bigs.

I wouldn't touch Mumford. He's injury prone and past his best. Physical beast who does real damage but he's rarely healthy and has never put together a full season. GWS can do better.
Griffen would be a great pickup but in his mid-late 20s he's not worth the no.1 overall selection to GWS with that window only likely to open when he's 30 which isn't so useful.

 

[Danair]

Lloyd Perris is a very good one and Sydney will make sure he's a Swan. He's a two way running midfielder who runs all day, fits the character profile as a real worker with future leadership potential and he wins his own footy. He's a guy a smart club would put a 1st round bid on.

KM, looks like we've taught the young Padawan well, still got no clue about the bidding system with him....

 

[carnthepies19]

KM, looks like we've taught the young Padawan well, still got no clue about the bidding system with him....

According to this, http://www.aflnswact.com.au/index.php?id=5&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1635&cHash=69b80cdb00 you lucky things will get him with your last active national draft pick (if you're senior listing him) because he's a nsw scholarship holder for the swans. Very very much a steal.

 

[tigs2010]

Hey Knightmare,

Is Nathan Freeman out injured or was he just rested?

 

[Knightmare]

KM, looks like we've taught the young Padawan well, still got no clue about the bidding system with him....

I continue to hear conflicting reports. Some are saying it works as F/S does. Other say it works as it did last year where it will take the final national draft selection.

I'll let the experts clear it up at seasons end as the rules seem to change year to year.

Hey Knightmare,

Is Nathan Freeman out injured or was he just rested?

May be playing APS footy. May be injured. Perhaps someone closer to his situation knows more.

If he was available to play I'm sure he'd be playing for either school or state in any case.

 

[Sezzac1]

Rolled and ankle. Not sure if he is playing Wednesday.

 

[LBJ6]

Highlights video of Hogans game on the weekend, for anyone who is interested:​

​

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2013-07-02/rd-12-vfl-jesse-hogan-highlights​

 

[imabowss]

And here's a question for anyone in the know regarding Willie Rioli.

Can we get a clear description on him as a player. We've basically only heard 'body shape issues' and 'highly skilled small forward'. But that doesn't paint a clear picture.

How does he go speed wise? How are his hands at ground level? What's his decision making like? Tackling? Kicking (set shot, shots from general play, field kicking)? Evasiveness?

Cheers in advance

lighting quick and very evasive, watched my school team play against him in a friendly game and he made every person look silly multiple times, havent seen too many people hit a field target as well as him in person and very smart around goals.

 

[tigs2010]

Rolled and ankle. Not sure if he is playing Wednesday.

Thanks mate.

 

[coniglio_number1]

Can't see wce passing on Robertson/marsh/acres/garlett in the second round given the recent wA only policy they seem to have

 

[mattyc75]

Can't see wce passing on Robertson/marsh/acres/garlett in the second round given the recent wA only policy they seem to have

i think west coast will pick up marsh if he can play midfield,if he is purely a forward then not what we need right now,but Im sure they are all definitely on our radar

 

[Rancid Trogs]

lighting quick and very evasive, watched my school team play against him in a friendly game and he made every person look silly multiple times, havent seen too many people hit a field target as well as him in person and very smart around goals.

Where does the talk of 'body shape issues' come from then?

 

[Dragonss]

Knightmare don't know if this has been asked before but what do you think Hartung's weaknesses are apart from his height?

 

[tigs2010]

Where does the talk of 'body shape issues' come from then?

174cm 88kg would do it.

 

[Rancid Trogs]

174cm 88kg would do it.

Haha, fair enough. I suppose my question was more related to his apparent speed and evasiveness? Surely a bigger body then makes him harder to tackle and perhaps a better tackler if he is so quick and evasive? Therefore more ready for senior footy?

 

[tigs2010]

Haha, fair enough. I suppose my question was more related to his apparent speed and evasiveness? Surely a bigger body then makes him harder to tackle and perhaps a better tackler if he is so quick and evasive? Therefore more ready for senior footy?

He's pretty chubby. He still has speed but the endurance is poor. I still think he'll go even as a rookie. Will be one where it comes down to his interviews and how bad he wants it.

 

[Rancid Trogs]

He's pretty chubby. He still has speed but the endurance is poor. I still think he'll go even as a rookie. Will be one where it comes down to his interviews and how bad he wants it.

Cheers mate.

Hopefully he slips down the pecking order, the Dons get him cheap, and then he gets himself right with a couple of pre-seasons. His talent sounds genuine

 

[Rancid Trogs]

#10 GWS (Activated Compensation) - Jack Billings (VIC – Fwd/Mid)
Height: 183cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 18/08/1995
Recruited from: Oakleigh Chargers
Style: Jimmy Bartel (Forward version)
Player comparison:
Range: 3-15
Profile: Billings is a very high level footballer already and I’ve been really impressed very impressed with his play at a national level, in the TAC and also in APS footy and just seems a class above at any level he plays at. Jack stands out with his elite footskills and is very duel sided with his preferred left foot in particular excellent and can both finish around goal easily just knowing where the goals are but also has rare playmaking ability with the way he finds those inside 50 targets by foot with his vision and ability to put it to where the forwards want it real features of his game and what he does as well as any. Whenever he has ball in hand regardless of pressure he just uses it really well and looks really comfortable out there. The other major feature of Jack’s game is his overhead marking ability. He’s not tall but for his height his marking is a real highlight marking it at the highest point, but has those genuine sticky hands where he just takes it every time and also has unbelievably strong 1v1 marking ability allowing him to be a big weapon when pushed forward. He’s also excellent at ground level and a superb finisher from anywhere in range and particularly from set shots where he is pretty much automatic. Billings I feel at the next level likely settles somewhere in the forward half rather than in the midfield with his ability to hit those forward 50 targets, convert his shots on goal from both set shots and field kicks but then his marking ability and 1v1 ability for someone at his size so uncommon he’ll be a real factor for a team.

Hey Knightmare,

why the sliding of Billings? Not that it upsets me - more a chance he slips to Essendon.

Also, would a player comparison perhaps be Mark Le Cras?

 

[Turbocat]

Boyd missing from VM, Hogan and Martin missing from WA but in the end you can only beat who you play.

Im not overly impressed with any KPD yet , any idea on who is playing forward that has the potential to play KPDer?

 

[Chris25]

Tom Barrass is another KPD to watch. He'll have big job to do today against the SA forwards, wouldn't surprise if he won his battle either.

 

[Sin City]

Cheers mate.

Hopefully he slips down the pecking order, the Dons get him cheap, and then he gets himself right with a couple of pre-seasons. His talent sounds genuine

Can't work out which one I like more, your avatar or username

 

[Gee Dub]

Tom Barrass is another KPD to watch. He'll have big job to do today against the SA forwards, wouldn't surprise if he won his battle either.

He made some really bad errors coming out of defence in Friday. A couple of poor decisions and didn't really have the skill to pull off what he wanted to do. Is this a regular thing?

 

[joop]

Awesome write up, but have to say that St.kilda will no way take a defender/utility with pick 3 no matter how good he is. We need inside mids and Dunstan is that.

 

[Jaeger]

Knightmare How would you say this draft compares to previous years?