Draft Watcher Young Talent Time 2017

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Any chance the Blues manage to nab Dow and Cerra?

Rayner - Lions
LDU - Dockers
Dow - Blues
Brayshaw - Roos
Stephenson - Dockers
Fogarty - Pies
Coffield - Saints
Clark - Saints
Naughton - Dogs
Cerra - Blues
 
Any chance the Blues manage to nab Dow and Cerra?

Rayner - Lions
LDU - Dockers
Dow - Blues
Brayshaw - Roos
Stephenson - Dockers
Fogarty - Pies
Coffield - Saints
Clark - Saints
Naughton - Dogs
Cerra - Blues

There's always a chance. BigFooty has never gotten a draft right. No many how many sources people try to claim they have.

North would have to spring the surprise pick though I think. Fremantle will likely pick Cerra at 5, unless Brayshaw is there. So maybe North go Fogarty, Fremantle Brayshaw and Cerra falls from there.
 

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There's always a chance. BigFooty has never gotten a draft right. No many how many sources people try to claim they have.

North would have to spring the surprise pick though I think. Fremantle will likely pick Cerra at 5, unless Brayshaw is there. So maybe North go Fogarty, Fremantle Brayshaw and Cerra falls from there.
Dow and Cerra would be a nice mix. Would the saints let Cerra pass though?

Could it work out something like this:
Rayner
Davis-Uniacke
Dow
Fogarty
Brayshaw
Naughton
Saints pick 2 of stephenson/bonar/clark
Coffield
Cerra

Still unlikely though
 
I mean the chances of both North and Fremantle not taking Cerra are like 5% at most.

But the Saints could conceivably take the view that they have a slow midfield and not want to add more of the same to the mix. Having two picks means they can go both best available and then need though.
 
I mean the chances of both North and Fremantle not taking Cerra are like 5% at most.

But the Saints could conceivably take the view that they have a slow midfield and not want to add more of the same to the mix. Having two picks means they can go both best available and then need though.
The saints have a slow midfield, they also have a fairly undynamic midfield which is lacking in creative types with good kicking skills.

Just quietly the saints could do with a forward that could stop kicking points but that's none of my business.
 
I mean the chances of both North and Fremantle not taking Cerra are like 5% at most.

But the Saints could conceivably take the view that they have a slow midfield and not want to add more of the same to the mix. Having two picks means they can go both best available and then need though.

Is it possible that Stephenson could still be in the early mix (seeing as his heart should be okay for footy)...he does seem ahead comparing both him and Cerra re highlights. Can see why you rate him so highly?
 
Is it possible that Stephenson could still be in the early mix (seeing as his heart should be okay for footy)...he does seem ahead comparing both him and Cerra re highlights. Can see why you rate him so highly?

Obviously I'd take Stephenson at #1, but it certainly doesn't appear as though he'll go top 5. I'm not sure why'd he be any 'riskier' than someone who has done his ACL twice. Yet everybody talks up Bonar as going earlier than he probably will.

Best chances would probably be Saints, Carlton or Brisbane since they have multiple first round picks.

But I'd still take him for Fremantle. My dream draft would be Davies-Uniacke, Stephenson and Shipley with our first three picks. Throw in Dixon and Amartey as talls later on. And maybe fill it out with Banfield, Crowden and Appleby. Then another ruck, mature aged ball winner and small forward in the rookie draft....but I'll change my mind plenty of times before the draft.
 
Obviously I'd take Stephenson at #1, but it certainly doesn't appear as though he'll go top 5. I'm not sure why'd he be any 'riskier' than someone who has done his ACL twice. Yet everybody talks up Bonar as going earlier than he probably will.

Best chances would probably be Saints, Carlton or Brisbane since they have multiple first round picks.

But I'd still take him for Fremantle. My dream draft would be Davies-Uniacke, Stephenson and Shipley with our first three picks. Throw in Dixon and Amartey as talls later on. And maybe fill it out with Banfield, Crowden and Appleby. Then another ruck, mature aged ball winner and small forward in the rookie draft....but I'll change my mind plenty of times before the draft.


i really like this, as good as it could get; "dream draft would be Davies-Uniacke, Stephenson and Shipley" (and Dixon).
 
hey Chris, how do you rate Coffield? lots of hype that the saints get him at 7 or 8 - is he there guy?

I like Coffield, but I don't see him playing as a midfielder. He's a rebounding defender, which isn't really a need for the Saints. They could still take him and hope he makes the move into the middle, but in that case I'd rather Hunter Clark.

I think Coffield goes to the Bulldogs or Carlton.
 

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Hi Chris some noise about Ed Richards at our 10, would appreciate your comments and insight on the lad. Seen some highlights impressive looks a likley type would hebe a reach at pick 10.
 
Hi Chris some noise about Ed Richards at our 10, would appreciate your comments and insight on the lad. Seen some highlights impressive looks a likley type would hebe a reach at pick 10.

Just on my own rankings, I do think it's a reach. But all the talk is that he'll go in the 6-12 range, so going by that he wouldn't be a reach as such. It would depend who else is on the board.

His combination of speed and foot skills is elite, which is no doubt why he's being talked of as a high pick. I feel he may be limited to playing as an attacking half back, with his contested game maybe not good enough for a full time move into the midfield.

I do personally prefer Ryley Stoddart across half back. Would also struggle picking Richards ahead of players like Clark, Coffield or Higgins.
 
Just on my own rankings, I do think it's a reach. But all the talk is that he'll go in the 6-12 range, so going by that he wouldn't be a reach as such. It would depend who else is on the board.

His combination of speed and foot skills is elite, which is no doubt why he's being talked of as a high pick. I feel he may be limited to playing as an attacking half back, with his contested game maybe not good enough for a full time move into the midfield.

I do personally prefer Ryley Stoddart across half back. Would also struggle picking Richards ahead of players like Clark, Coffield or Higgins.

Thanks Chris appreciate your comments. I like Bonar, Clarke, Coffield and Higgins too plenty of good opportunities at pick 10 getting exciting .
 
Who's ready for some draft thoughts that nobody asked for?

Adelaide

The perfect draft for Adelaide. I daresay they wanted Fogarty and McPherson, and they got them. I've often been critical of Adelaide's early round drafting, I think they've reached or missed more often than not in the last couple of years. But Fogarty was a no brainer. Probably no coincidence that the interstate teams passed, but it worked out well for everyone.

Brisbane

As long as they stick around long term, Brisbane did well. I'm personally not a huge fan of Starcevich, particularly in the first round. If someone isn't a big ball winner as a junior, I think it's unlikely that changes at a higher level. I feel he may be more of a Tom Bell type, being a part time midfielder and flanker. But he's a big body with good athletic traits, so there's something to work with. Bailey was a great pick up though, he does everything you want from a midfielder. And of the talls on the board, I think Wooller was the right choice. He'll fit in well with what they already have, being a slightly shorter but stronger mobile forward.

Carlton

I liked their first two picks. Dow wouldn't have needed much discussion, think he was the best for their current midfield. And O'Brien offers the outside run, he's more a midfielder than the likes of Ling and Richards - who may develop more into half backs. So I like the pick for Carlton. As for the later picks, I like Schumacher as a rebounding defender. If this was the NFL and he could come on just to kick, he'd be a very good player but he'll probably need some time to develop the rest of his game. DeKoning wouldn't have been my pick personally, he's showed glimpses but offers less than Harry McKay already does. Maybe as a ruckman he could find a role.

Collingwood

Based solely on who they picked, I have to say they did very well. Stephenson is the most talented player in the draft, I was really pleased to see him still go early. I said the heart stuff was being overstated. And Murphy could have gone much earlier than he did, so it was good value. I'm not really sure how much they've improved overall though, they're still desperate for talls. But you can only follow your draft board, no point reaching. Maybe next year.

Essendon

I'll never criticise picking a couple of SA boys. Jordan Houlahan in particular was a good selection, I think he was top 20 quality on talent alone. If he can put it all together more consistently, then he'll be a steal where they got him. Otherwise, Guelfi gives them some decent depth in a number of spots. I thought Zerk-Thatcher would be a rookie pick, but he's a good project defender. Long limbed like a former Essendon player, decent pinch hitting ruck too. Probably did as well as could be expected given their late picks.

Fremantle

Probably surprised a few with going for Brayshaw first, but he's as safe a prospect as you could ask for and brings immediate leadership. I do think there's a good chance that North would have taken him at #4 ahead of Davies-Uniacke. But this way both clubs are happy. Brayshaw and Cerra look a perfect combination, both smart and clean with their ball use. The one thing I think we lacked this year was genuine ball winners, and we've corrected that with the first two picks as well as North and Crowden. While Dixon was my favourite of all the key forwards in the middle rounds. While they didn't pick the highest rated players on my board, I'm certainly not unhappy with their draft.
 
Geelong

Interesting draft for Geelong. They certainly got good value with their picks, looks like they had a draft board and stuck with it for every selection. Which is always a good way to go. All four players could realistically see playing next time year, Fogarty might be best placed to force his way in across half forward. I'm not one who was surprised by Constable being picked where he was, good pick at 36 but I think that was his range. I would have thought maybe they could have added a tall in there somewhere, or more importantly a bit of speed. But the picks help keep their premiership window open now.

Gold Coast

I don't think the Suns do themselves any favours with their drafting. It's like they try to prove that they're the smartest people in the room, but it's certainly not working so far. They've reached for players in the past, and it hasn't worked. Or they've picked skinny kids who won't be consistent players for a few years, which hasn't paid off yet. So what do they do this year? They reach for a skinny kid. I guess we'll see how it pans out for them this time. The selection of Ballard isn't quite as bad I don't think, because it was decent value. But I just don't think it was a need. Someone like Worpel could play next year, or a playmaker like Houlahan was there. Or there was finally a decent Queenslander in Oskar Baker, at least that's a player who won't leave them. I just don't see this draft as being the one to change their fortunes.

Greater Western Sydney

On the other hand, I think GWS have continued to add more quality young players and filled a number of needs. They've directly replaced Devon Smith with Brent Daniels, and long term there probably won't be much of a drop off. They've added a promising young KPD with senior WAFL experience. And two big bodied midfielders with huge potential. Shipley was one of my favourite players in the draft, think he has a very high ceiling as an inside midfielder. And who knows what Bonar could be. They got better.

Hawthorn

Another who made the absolute most of picking late. They were big on Worpel and he should play next year, perhaps not the most impactful player but he just wins the ball. Could easily end up being like one of the Crouch brothers (maybe Brad, not Matt), which would be a big win where they got him. And Moore was one of the surprises for me, dropping to where he did. With Ross one of my favourite players later in the draft. Who knows how he develops, but he has potential as an outside midfielder/half forward.
 
Melbourne

There's something about this draft I really like. I had the four players all ranked around the 30-50 mark, so it's not that they got exceptional value or anything. I just think it was a really good mix and should compliment what Melbourne already have. Spargo and Baker offer some real run and speed on the outside, hard to know who will be a bigger cult hero out of Baker and Jayden Hunt. Fritsch was my pick of the mature aged players available, think he'll be a good medium sized forward. While Petty was the highest rated tall on the board, he's a solid KPD who's good at most things. Made the most of their picks.

North Melbourne

Obviously this draft is all about Davies-Uniacke, he'll be a good fit and will probably finish the 2018 season as their best midfielder. He's a very good inside midfielder, but his burst is what sets him apart from the other North mids. Otherwise, I don't mind the Will Walker selection. I do think it was early, but he wouldn't have been there at 62 and fits their needs. Taller versatile midfielder, offers some outside run. Maybe a Nathan Murphy would have been a better value pick, but it's not bad by any means. While I thought Xerri would make a good rookie pick, long term project but there's something there to work with.

Port Adelaide

Solely based on my own rankings, it was a big win for Port Adelaide. I had Hayes top 10, Garner top 20 and Patmore top 30. So excellent value in the 50s and 60s. I'm still a fan of Hayes, think he's the best ruck prospect in the draft and a more than capable forward. Some concerns athletically, but I think he'll make it. And I've always liked Garner. He's a tough ball winner across half back or through the midfield, he'll be in a leadership group within a few years. With him and Patmore they've got two players who are just always involved in some way. And Barry could see some action next year, looked good for Glenelg and gets to stay in SA which will only help.

Richmond

I'm not quite as big on this draft as others. Higgins was a very good pick, he should start Round 1. I'd be picking him ahead of some of the guys from the Grand Final team. Better forward and better defensively. Excellent value at 17. Otherwise, I'm not sold on their talls. I thought Coleman-Jones was taken early, and Balta far too soon. I'd have taken Allen and Taylor with those picks. There's no question about what role they play, whereas Balta in particular and Miller to a lesser extent have question marks. But having said that, Coleman-Jones means they can stop playing Griffiths and that's a positive. Plus Naish didn't cost too much.
 
Just want to say Chris25 that have enjoyed all your research and opinions over this draft period. Thanks for your effort
 
Coleman -Jones is the best contested mark in the draft and gets around the ground nicely and good ruck work.Balta has the biggest upside off any KP player needs work on smarts and settle a position ,but he has to much good traits for his size.Dont forget he was played in different positions for the cannons and vic metro to.Miller interesting one good project at 64 testing was fantastic speed and agility and goal kicking.

Like all KP players they need time and experience.
 
St Kilda

On face value, the Saints had a good draft. Hunter Clark was long one of my favourite players, I think he's similar to Blakely from Fremantle. Attacks everything at full speed, but composed with ball in hand. I'm in the camp that he's a very good kick too. Is he a midfielder or a half back? And that's the only issue I have with this draft. Clark, Coffield and Paton all arguably are best suited to the same role. I'd say long term it will be Paton in a back pocket, Coffield at half back and Clark in the middle. But we'll see.

Sydney

There was a bit of talk about Ling being picked early, and maybe he was. Only very slightly though. But the one I rated as a first round pick was Ryley Stoddart, and a few people in the media had him going in the early 20s. So to get him in the 50s was very good value and makes this draft. He's calm and composed. And then you have Ling with his elite speed potentially playing across from him. They should suit each other well. McCartin looked a fair pick too, athletic tall who could develop around the bigger and stronger forwards that the Swans already have.

West Coast

West Coast had some very good picks, but overall I feel they didn't really hit the most pressing need of their midfield. But with Brander down back and Allen up forward, they've once again solidified their KPP stocks for the foreseeable future. And maybe Brander does develop into a forward in the end, we'll see. Petruccelle will bring serious speed to their half forward line, him and Ryan make them more exciting - provided Ryan can bring the effort and translate his WAFL form across. Ainsworth is the one I'm not sure about, big ball winner and should play in 2018 but he wouldn't have been my pick as a long term answer.

Western Bulldogs

I think I remember seeing a few Bulldogs fans saying how Naughton wasn't a pressing need, but all the pre draft talk certainly linked the player and club. So it wasn't a surprise at all. He was clearly ranked highly on their draft board, he should feature next year and arguably becomes their best young defender. Intercept marking is all the rage after all. Their other two picks look like classic Bulldogs picks, midfielders with a focus on run and kicking skills. A lot of clubs rated Richards, so they made the most of their early picks. Porter is the smokey with his contested marking for a small being very good.
 
Coleman -Jones is the best contested mark in the draft and gets around the ground nicely and good ruck work.Balta has the biggest upside off any KP player needs work on smarts and settle a position ,but he has to much good traits for his size.Dont forget he was played in different positions for the cannons and vic metro to.Miller interesting one good project at 64 testing was fantastic speed and agility and goal kicking.

Like all KP players they need time and experience.

I can see where you're coming from. But I don't agree with Balta. Athletically, he may have the biggest upside but that's only one small part of the game. Football smarts aren't always something that is easily developed. Perhaps he can develop into a part time forward/ruckman with no real responsiblity, where he can run around and do what he wants. Down back, I think he'll take a bit more time. So I'd have preferred Sam Taylor, he might not have elite speed but he's a footballer and a very good defender.

Coleman-Jones, I wouldn't say is the best contested mark. He's a good one though. And I'd say he gets around the ground nicely for a ruckman, not for a KPP. I do think he'll be a decent player, even if he was taken early in my opinion. Just maybe not a star.
 
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