In a draft you compare players, if you don't your rankings will be a dog's breakfast. I'm happy to assess all the midfielders together & work out who represents the best bang for the buck.
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2021 Draft Thread
- Thread starter Rfc4Ever
- Start date
Every club, every pick: ESPN's full AFL phantom draft
The 2021 AFL Draft is on our doorstep, and ESPN expert Chris Doerre has analysed all the possibilities to expand his phantom draft from the first pick to the very last.www.espn.com.au
Has us taking Hobbs, Van Rooyen, Bazzo, Taylor & Clarke.
Add Ronny as a rookie and thats a helluva haul
I was just about to mention Cotch & that's a great comparison when talking about kicking depth. As for the rest of his game, not in the same ballpark with scoreboard influence, kicking on the non preferred & outside capability (although Cotch has become more of a role player in recent times). Cotch ran a 3.07, so he's fractionally quicker than Hobbs, agility comparable & leap fractionally in Hobbs favour.
Connor MacDonald & Cooper Murley at 47 & 48
Im sure most of us would rather MacDonald than Clarke
Im sure most of us would rather MacDonald than Clarke
Mate ,one of the reasons l haven't been posting on here lately is it's like groundhog day.
Go see live matches,not highlights or posts on other sites.
So, I spent a fair portion of time analysing Zac Taylor's kicking technique which has seemingly put many people off. My initial thoughts are overwhelmingly positive & if this is the sole reason he's slips to the thirties then more luck for Richmond.
* Kicking on the non preferred doesn't have the same level of elevation so you would imagine if he can refine the biomechanics on one side. then he can do it on his preferred.
* The extra time needed to get ball to boot can be measured in milliseconds, slow down the frame rate and you won't detect any opposition players creeping up or putting themselves in a position to spoil.
* When kicking shorter distances the elevation is reduced so there's already modification occurring depending on circumstances.
* He seems to elevate the ball higher when looking for added yards, I don't mind this and view it as a 5th gear used to achieve added distance.
* the point where the ball leaves the hand is textbook, all modifications needed are coachable & should be ironed out very early in his career.
* His efficiency is very good, on both sides of the body, this in part due to his slippery nature.
* Kicking on the non preferred doesn't have the same level of elevation so you would imagine if he can refine the biomechanics on one side. then he can do it on his preferred.
* The extra time needed to get ball to boot can be measured in milliseconds, slow down the frame rate and you won't detect any opposition players creeping up or putting themselves in a position to spoil.
* When kicking shorter distances the elevation is reduced so there's already modification occurring depending on circumstances.
* He seems to elevate the ball higher when looking for added yards, I don't mind this and view it as a 5th gear used to achieve added distance.
* the point where the ball leaves the hand is textbook, all modifications needed are coachable & should be ironed out very early in his career.
* His efficiency is very good, on both sides of the body, this in part due to his slippery nature.
Exactly. Rarely. But a) he has innumerable other strengths b) it’s not his wheelhouse to be on the run and flying one through from 50+ and c) it’s good enough anyway. Nobody complains about the Chimp’s “range” too often.
Chimp, Viney, Adams etc contested beasts with limited depth to their kicking. But hardly an issue in the overall scheme of things when you assess their overall value and what you’re getting as a package.
Last and second last for clearances and contested possessions, we’d be looking for Hobbs to make an impact in that space. Kicking goals from 50+ on the run would be a bonus and make him close to the number 1 pick. How many guys can do that anyway and also be an inside weapon. Only a small handful.
I form my opinions based on my own metrics, inferring that I'm a keyboard warrior doesn't improve your argument. I watch footage as much as you Bengal, even if that's from my humble computer. Good on you for being there live, I've listened, taken notes and used some of those in formulating my own rankings. But I've also been doing this for 15 years and have a pretty solid record so passing me off as a echo chamber nerd doesn't impress me one iota. If I like a player more there's usually a sound rationale, no need to get so precious.
Every club, every pick: ESPN's full AFL phantom draft
The 2021 AFL Draft is on our doorstep, and ESPN expert Chris Doerre has analysed all the possibilities to expand his phantom draft from the first pick to the very last.
Has us taking Hobbs, Van Rooyen, Bazzo, Taylor & Clarke.
MacDonald at 47!!!! Whatttttttttttttttt
If North want Motlop and Sonsie is on the board at that pick. I'd hope we'd do 26 and 27 for 20 and 47.
We could end up with:
Hobbs
JVR
Sonsie
Bazzo / Clarke
MacDonald (though I reckon there is almost no chance he slides as far as Doerre seems to think he will)
Absolutely, just mentioned Macdonald too, though I think Doerre criminally under rates him. Probably highly unlikely he makes it past 30 let alone 40 IMO.
One thing about Hobbs that he does have to get out of his game is a propensity to be a bit demanding on his team mates to give him the ball. You will see him being a bit demonstrative at times - screaming with his hands out for a handball or short kick. The NAB League games this year I’ve seen him bake his team mates on a few occasions for not giving him the ball. One classic one v Sandringham in Ballarat where he went ballistic at Charlie Molan for not hand balling to him. It was way over the top.
Needs to get that out of his game.
Needs to get that out of his game.
When you say Hobbs kicking efficiency isn’t good, what’s the numbers there Bullus ?
The midfield we have at the Tigers aren't very good readers of the play,when the opposition ruck man dominates we get smashed ,Hobbs is excellent at reading the play,and puts himself in the right position to win the clearance or at least contest.
Looks like Top 6 all but locked in you'd think. Everyone pretty much on same page. When that happens with early picks history says rarely deviates. Hobbs or Gibcus for us you'd think. Johnson an outside chance.
www.theage.com.au
The top 10 draft selections that appear locked in
Gun father-son recruits Sam Darcy and Nick Daicos appear certain to be bid upon at draft picks two and four, respectively.
Come on Bully you're talking crystal ball stuff here. I want Hobbs but if we picked Johnson, or Gibcus or Ward, I wouldn't be disappointed.
It's easy to pick the eyes out of a players deficiencies, Johnson does he even have a forward game? His contested work has also been questioned.
We are crying out for an inside mid, a contested beast and that's what Hobbs is. I'm highlighting his strong attributes.
I have seen Hobbs take strong overhead marks and he kicks goals too. Aves about a goal a game.
The way the game is now, contested work and clearances are king as are foot skills and speed due to the new rules. I have said numerous times Hobbs breakaway speed from a contest is fine, his straight-line speed is ok, not fast but he is certainly not slow.
So the question is would we more pick a player who will win the ball at the coalface or someone who provides more outside run. Love a combination of both, to be honest. My preference is Hobbs, but I am not too fussed with who the club picks with pick 7 (9), too much talent in the top 10 which I feel we can't go wrong.
BEN HOBBS
The best pure inside midfielder and contested possession-winner in the draft class, Hobbs is a master at winning the footy at the coalface and his quick hands make him a threat at stoppages. Yet unlike a lot of inside midfielders, Hobbs has great composure with the ball when in tight, often opting against thumping the ball forward by foot. The on-baller recently met again with the Tigers, who appear to be Hobbs’ preferred club.
STRENGTHS:
- Contested work
- Clean hands
- Accumulation
- Consistency
- Tackling
- Clearances
- Outside game
- Kicking
| SEASON | TEAM | K | HB | D | M | CP | UP | T | HO | CLR | I50 | R50 | GL | GM | K | H | D | M | HO | T | G | DC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | GWV REBELS | 75 | 51 | 124 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 15.0 | 10.2 | 24.8 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 5.8 | 0.8 | 86 |
MATT JOHNSON
STRENGTHS:
+ Clean Hands
+ Composure
+ Agility
+ Skills
+ Size
+ Upside
IMPROVEMENTS:
- Production
- Contested game
Johnson is a consistent player disposal-wise but doesn’t get the pure volume like fellow prospects Ben Hobbs and Josh Ward. It comes down to a mixture of contested game and pure gut running to get to as many contests as possible. The contested game is something that can certainly be developed, with Johnson a fair bit lighter than Hobbs and Ward despite the height difference, so once Johnson adds some size to his frame he could develop the confidence to really attack the ball and ball carrier to make full use of that strong frame. The improvements for Johnson aren’t big issues in his game, so even if he can't make huge inroads it shouldn’t impact his standing as a very promising prospect.
SUMMARY:
There aren't many players in the draft more reliable with ball in hand than Johnson, who supporters would feel comfortable with when he is in possession by hand or foot. Although an improved attack on the ball and production could help him become a more well rounded player, Johnson is still a safe bet for a club looking to bolster its midfield in the first round of the draft.
LAST 10 MATCHES
| ROUND | GRADE | OPPOSITION | K | H | D | M | T | HO | FF | FA | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals Week 2, 2021 | Reserves | Swan Districts | 16 | 11 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Finals Week 1, 2021 | Reserves | West Perth | 15 | 8 | 23 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Round 19, 2021 | Reserves | East Fremantle | 18 | 7 | 25 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Round 18, 2021 | Reserves | Claremont | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Round 14, 2021 | Colts | Perth | 20 | 6 | 26 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Round 12, 2021 | Colts | Swan Districts | 9 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Round 9, 2021 | Colts | Perth | 11 | 19 | 30 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Round 8, 2021 | Colts | Peel Thunder | 14 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Round 7, 2021 | League | Swan Districts | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Round 6, 2021 | League | Claremont | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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Great post, does Hobbs normally set up as the defensive mid, or was he the go-to hitman at Ballarat? Can he do both?
Do you think that the Taylor Adams comparison is fair?
