National Draft Pick #17 - Michael Apeness

[Palmervich]

Looks a better player than McArthey to me from the highlights I have seen, Love the strong marking, and was equal best goal kicker at the combine in the goal kicking 5/5.
Freo said they saw him as the best mark in the TAC if not the country! What we have really been lacking! Wrapt with this guy!

 

[Outshined]

Definitely not a first string ruckman, at least not at afl level anyway. Would be seemingly much more suited to a KPF role while pinch hitting in the ruck. Good luck defending against a forward line with Apeness and Sandi as key targets.

 

[Darcy 2 Fyfe]

C'mon then you photoshop gurus weres the photo on King Kong on top of the Empire State Building in the purple chevrons??? Make it happen.

 

[Moist Biscuit]

He might show Mayne a thing or 2 about goal kicking.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Sounds like he has plenty of upside.

I can hear Freo and Collingwood fans chanting his name already.

 

[electricfeel]

Dat name. I can vision the banners and newspaper headlines already...

 

[Righteo]

Have come around more to this in the last few hours, great size and aggression by the sounds of it and can take a contested mark. Tippett seems a decent comparison.

Surely with the way it's written it HAS to be "ape-ness" phonetically?

 

[Freo Big Fella]

Liking this. The fact he's cracking the hunge on the scales as well means we can chuck him into things without too many worries as well.

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

we finally get a plugin-and-play power forward. suma will be rubbing his hands together.

 

[Crippa]

More than just a gorilla - a gorilla who can kick goals when his life depends on it.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-10-04/draft-combine-results

 

[clogged]

Definitely not a first string ruckman, at least not at afl level anyway. Would be seemingly much more suited to a KPF role while pinch hitting in the ruck. Good luck defending against a forward line with Apeness and Sandi as key targets.

If they ever play in the same forward line either Sandilands has discovered the Fountain of Youth or there is an injury crisis at Fremantle.

 

[clogged]

Surely with the way it's written it HAS to be "ape-ness" phonetically?

A Peness, surely.

 

[Postman_Pav]

Very slow for a key forward. 3.17 for 20m. More suited to ruck with abit of forward time in athletic terms - would be run off too easily at ground level. Tippett for example is much more athletic.

 

[clogged]

Very slow for a key forward. 3.17 for 20m. More suited to ruck with abit of forward time in athletic terms - would be run off too easily at ground level. Tippett for example is much more athletic.

Thanks TOA.

Let us recollect what you said four years ago

I have the draft camp results sitting right in front of me.

Fyfe measured 187.4cm at DC in October.

Barlow was a very good rookie pick. Perfect for a list like Freo's.


He would have been useless at a good side like Cats/Saints as he simply would never make it in. He also would have been behind many similar types at clubs with abit more depth like WC/Ess etc (not saying they have better talent but better depth).

So much gold. How often do you have to be wrong before you quit pretending you know anything?

 

[Righteo]

Very slow for a key forward. 3.17 for 20m. More suited to ruck with abit of forward time in athletic terms - would be run off too easily at ground level. Tippett for example is much more athletic.

Not like he needs to run though, looks like we could just plonk him in the goal square and he'd pull everything down.

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

edit: ^what he said.

Very slow for a key forward. 3.17 for 20m. More suited to ruck with abit of forward time in athletic terms - would be run off too easily at ground level. Tippett for example is much more athletic.

he's 200 cm. you just need to kick it to him.

 

[Postman_Pav]

Not like he needs to run though, looks like we could just plonk him in the goal square and he'd pull everything down.

Very true. Not saying bad pick. I just dont think he is a true key forward that will be able to run around the forward line like the quality key forwards do. Ruck/deep forward then

 

[Nodgey]

GWS suck balls. But happy to get this bloke as a 'consolation' prize. The ACL is a worry but he's obviously overcome it at this stage. Looking forward to seeing him play for us this season. Coincidentally seems a similar build and playing style to Gumby.

 

[theGav56]

There is this from the draft combine:

Goalkicking assessment – winners
Chris Cain, Jarred Ellis, Michael Apeness – five goals from five shots



That along with being the best (or close to best) mark in the draft says he should do ok as a more of a forward than a ruckman.

 

[Taylor]

I think he is bigger than Gumbleton already.

Big Mick

 

[chinggis77]

Very slow for a key forward. 3.17 for 20m. More suited to ruck with abit of forward time in athletic terms - would be run off too easily at ground level. Tippett for example is much more athletic.

Had around 10:30 for the 3km time trial so has elite endurance for a forward and man of his size.

 

[Nickos66]

Very slow for a key forward. 3.17 for 20m. More suited to ruck with abit of forward time in athletic terms - would be run off too easily at ground level. Tippett for example is much more athletic.

Well then, we're lucky he's the best contested marker in the entire draft and he doesn't need to be metres from his opponent to take a grab, as evidenced by the grabs in his highlights video.

 

[thefreodockers]

On the highlights his style reminds me of Roughead as much as Tippett.

I was a bit miffed when I heard we picked him but I've changed my mind - looks a great pick.

 

[TweeBeard]

Very slow for a key forward. 3.17 for 20m. More suited to ruck with abit of forward time in athletic terms - would be run off too easily at ground level. Tippett for example is much more athletic.

He looks more like a contested marking full forward rather than a leading one so I don't think being slower than his match up will give him too much of a disadvantage

EDIT: Beaten to it by about 4 people

 

[Nickos66]

I love his highlights, even in the ruck (which I hope he won't be called on for very often..), he doesn't 50/50 with his opponent, he just pushes them out the bloody way. Same with his contested marking - he's not halving contests here, he's crashing them. Rugby did him good I believe. He'll be a keeper IMO.