Top 50 Draft prospects 2018

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14. Luke Valente
Norwood/South Australia
Balanced Midfielder
Height: 186 cm Weight: 80 kg

Player Projection: Dom Sheed

I think pick 14 is fair weight for Valente, he’s the captain of South Australia’s winning side & he also picked up MVP honours in the wash-up. What sets him apart from the crowd is his decision making, 84% disposal efficiency is in Pendlebury territory and needs to be acknowledged when handing down final assessments. Whilst he’s the type who will rarely make the 6:00 o’clock news his composure in tight is a highlight & you will often find him dishing the ball out to the more glamourous playmakers. Having also competed in the SANFL at reserves level you can rest easy that senior bodies won’t be intimidating & there’s every chance that he will make his AFL debut in 2019. Whoever picks Valente will be getting a guaranteed best 22 footballer who will epitomize professionalism. For a mid teens pick that’s all you can ask for.

 

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15. Zak Butters
Western Jets/Vic Metro
Outside Midfielder
Height: 181cm Weight: 70kg

Player Projection: Zach Merrett

Now that we’ve hit the more speculative types I’m grabbing a guy who glides over the turf like a Lambourghini Countach, he actually reminds me of young Zach Merrett who was also quite skinny & very outside. I actually missed the boat with Merrett & I’m kind of making amends here by selecting Butters with a top 20 pick. This selection isn’t without risk, outside guys can be very hit & miss but they can also produce some A grade beauties as we’ve seen with Merrett, Sloane & Neale. Looking at the clues I’m seeing a guy who likes battling out of his weight division, Butters loves a scrap & also loves to dance, there’s a bit of Prince Naseem about the way he maneuvres through traffic. His overhead skills are also top notch & I’m hoping this is the final clue with regards to his adaptive qualities.

 

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16. Xavier O’Halloran
Western Jets/Victoria Metro
Inside Midfielder
Height: 187 cm Weight: 83 kg

Player Projection: Jack Ziebell

This is pretty high for a midfielder who only managed 19 touches at TAC level & 13 at state level, but when weighing up this decision I went for a player who I thought could slot pretty seamlessly into just about any team. O’Halloran is a contested beast who likes to kick, his game style is very reminiscent of Jack Ziebell & he also presents as a bit of a weapon when resting forward. I wouldn’t say his forward craft is fully evolved but he can take a strong contested mark & his acceleration allows him to often leave his opponents in the dust. I suppose the big question here is whether O’Halloran can lift his output to more acceptable levels, judging by the evolution of Ziebell I’d say this is entirely possible.

 

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17. Liam Stocker
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
Inside Midfielder
Height: 183cm Weight: 83kg

Player Projection: Ryan Bastinac

Ryan Bastinac has just been delisted but he did play 161 games of AFL footy and that to me is a fair achievement. I don’t see a lot of pizzazz with Stocker, everything reads like a Bastinac type career. One of the first areas I look at when assessing the mids is breakaway speed, on that count I don’t think Stocker is express pace and doesn’t have the explosion that a guy like Caldwell possesses. In terms of production he also appears in that Bastinac realm, in fact their junior careers show some striking similarities. In saying that, winning a Morrish Medal is a fair achievement & his backend to the season was as good as anyone playing in the TAC. If there is one feature that may see Stocker rise above a player like Bastinac it will come in the form of his forward work, his lateral movement is generally excellent & he has the ability to wrong foot his opponents. Given he only kicked 6 goals for the year this is clearly a work in progress but there were still some very positive signs. At pick 17 there's enough blue chip qualities to feel comfortable with this selection, yet at the same time feel optimistic that some value added skills may emerge.

 

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18. Riley Collier-Dawkins
Oakleigh Chargers/Victoria Metro
Inside Midfielder
Height: 193cm Weight: 88kg

Player Projection: Clayton Oliver

In stockmarket parlance RCD is a potential 10 bagger, you could walk away with a small fortune or you could wind up penniless. Despite having him in my top 10 just about all year I’ve left him this late because I’m deeply concerned about his running ability. Whilst I’ve set the bar at Clayton Oliver, this could also turn out to be another Tom Bell situation & the recruiter who takes him needs to be prepared to cop flack in the event he falters. On the flipside RCD has many tools that appeal, his acceleration his top shelf, he has the height and he has proven to be a big game player. As to whether he can take those qualities to the next level rests largely on his work ethic & attitude.

 

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19. Rhylee West
Calder Cannons/Victoria Metro
Inside Midfielder/Small Forward
Height: 180 cm Weight: 80 kg

Player Projection: Scott West

Like father, like son. Rhylee really is cut from the same cloth as Scott, their game style nearly identical. This is a good get for the Bulldogs, I think West comes in for Libba & should have a similar impact. Probably doesn’t quite have the same tackling ferocity but is a bit more polished with his disposal.

 

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20. Xavier Duursma
Gippsland Power/Victoria Country
Defender/Midfielder
Height: 186 cm Weight: 73 kg

Player Projection: Brad Sheppard

The million dollar question pertaining to Duursma is where he will find a permanent home at AFL level. There’s some school of thought that he will transition to the midfield Dyson Heppell style, that however seems a long shot as I don’t believe his kicking is quite in the Heppell class. For my money he will settle into a back flank in a similar role to Brad Sheppard, or possibly a wing in a similar vein to Rory Atkins. It should be pointed out that Duursma is not outside, his contested work is near the top of the class & his attack on the football is frenetic. It’s this quality that makes me believe he’ll make a terrific back flanker, more than capable of striking up an effective balance between accountability & attacking flare.

 

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21. Jackson Hately
Central Districts/South Australia
Inside Midfielder
Height: 192 cm Weight: 80 kg

Player Projection: Matt Crouch

To be honest Hately has never excited me much, I find him as vanilla as an Eskimo Pie but fair play to the lad as he’s been playing senior football this year & hasn’t disgraced himself. I suppose he will attract some clubs looking for a big bodied midfielder who has a reasonably balanced game. The problem from my perspective is he doesn’t really hurt with his disposals and he doesn’t really have any standout athletic traits apart from being big. He’s a poor man’s version of Matt Crouch who relies on getting 35 touches every week. Don’t think Hately has that kind of potential & I can see him getting games but as that 5th or 6th best midfielder.

 

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22. Bailey Scott
North Melbourne F&S /Allies
Balanced Midfielder/Medium Forward
Height: 186 cm Weight: 74kg

Player Projection: David Zaharakis

I like the strut of Bailey Scott, he reminds me a lot of David Zaharakis who has been underrated for the best part of his career. He’s more a utility than a permanent midfielder but he does possess run & carry skills that could see him play just about anywhere on the park, he also has a strong ability to find the pill as was evidenced by his disposal numbers at state level. Perhaps the clincher for this pick was the fact that Scott has demonstrated very strong leadership traits that should translate well at AFL level. Given his background I wouldn't be surprised to see him fast tracked into the leadership group down at Arden St. Sadly yet another win for #LoLNorf.

 

[zippadeee]

You have us taking Ryan Bastinac either side of Ziebell and Oliver. Is Greg Beck back at Richmond?
We need to trade our first pick

 

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You have us taking Ryan Bastinac either side of Ziebell and Oliver. Is Greg Beck back at Richmond?
We need to trade our first pick

Mods get this troll out of here.

 

[zippadeee]

Mods get this troll out of here.

At least put in someone half decent not Bastanic
Give us some hope.

 

[bullus_hit]

At least put in someone half decent not Bastanic
Give us some hope.

Read the opening post you twit, I kindly asked for people to refrain from posting until I've finished the 50 profiles. It's also a ranking & not a Phantom, pick 17 isn't Richmond's pick in any case. Fair dinkum, how old are you?

 

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23. Isaac Quaynor
Oakleigh Chargers/Victoria Metro
Outside Midfielder/Small Defender
Height: 180 cm Weight: 77 kg

Player Projection: Herritier Lumumba

It’s hard not to see the similarities between Quaynor & Harry O, they share so many physical traits as well as being near identical in the way they approach the game. Whilst being slightly undersized Quaynor has reasonable defensive qualities, but I do say this with some caution given taller forwards can cause him some serious issues. Sam Sturt gave him a lesson & despite Isaac having a niggle or two it did highlight the challenges he may face when lining up on athletic players who have a height advantage. That will be the acid test from here, finding the right match-ups & allowing him the scope to rebound.

 

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24. Ian Hill
Perth/Western Australia
Small Forward/Outside Midfielder
Height: 175 cm Weight: 76 kg

Player Projection: Brad Hill

Quite surprised Hill landed here to be honest, it’s not that I’m anti-Hill in the slightest, it’s just that I’ve placed a bit more weighting on contested work & consistency. As a result Hill has drifted out a touch. I’m also not going to dissect his 2018 with any great venom because despite going backwards he’s been nursing a shoulder injury that has clearly hampered his progress. At his best Hill can rip a hole in opposition defences, he’s got pace to burn & will be a difficult match-up for a team lacking a speedy defender. Perhaps too outside for some but all the Hills have started off as receivers & have developed their inside credentials once in an AFL system. Ian also provides manic tackling pressure, that fits the premiership model to a tee. At pick 24 I think this is really good bang for the buck.

 

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25. Sam Sturt
Dandenong Stingrays
Medium Forward
Height: 188cm Weight: 78kg

Player Projection: Jack Gunston

Sturt is a real head scratcher, I know he’s starred in schoolboy football & had a similarly potent impact in his 4 TAC matches, but this is such a small sample to work with that projecting his impact becomes a game of reading of tea leaves. I suppose if you have the utmost confidence in your development team then this could be a golden opportunity to capitalize on his athleticism & marking ability, the obvious template being Jack Gunston. I think Sturt’s success or failure will largely depend on where he lands, Gold coast for example would not be the place to be, particularly given they have a very ordinary support cast.

 

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26. Jez McLennan
Central Districts/ South Australia
General Defender
Height: 183cm Weight: 81 kg

Player Projection: Luke Ryan

Jez is a really impressive footballer, he’s not the most athletic defender but he’s a superb reader of the play & is very strong overhead. Having also had senior experience places him as one of the more bankable commodities in the draft. Judging by the seamless transition we’ve seen from Luke Ryan I could see McLennan following suit & getting games early next year.

 

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27. Tom Lewis
Sturt/South Australia
Inside Midfielder
Height: 179 cm Weight: 78 kg

Player Projection: Taylor Adams

Every year there’s a guy who hardly rates a mention but who stands out like dogs balls as a perfect AFL match. This year I’m giving that distinction to the human cannonball Tom Lewis. I’ve likened him to Taylor Adams who ended up going at pick 13, both players have that thick set build & both do their best work in tight. Lewis is the type who can still keep his calm with guys quite literally hanging off him, his short stocky legs the perfect counterweight to the chaos that usually ensues. As for his CV, he already has a Reserves B&F, this from just 12 games (he polled in 11). He also won the yo-yo test at the state combine, so he will be ready to roll from day one. I don’t expect him to go this early in the draft but at pick 40 odd he would be my number one priority.

 

[mtench]

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28. Jack Bytel
Calder Cannons/Victoria Metro
Inside Midfielder
Height: 188 cm Weight: 79 k

Player projection: Connor Blakely

I’m an unabashed fan of Bytel, he grabbed my attention in the All-Stars game last year & from then on was firmly in my sights as a top 20 prospect. He’s very inside at the moment, statistically he reads like Connor Blakely being a clearance specialist, slightly handball focused & very blue collar with regards to workrate & 1%’ers. But in some way that sells him short because he’s a little more slippery in traffic than those descriptions would suggest. There’s something about the way he arches his back that grabs the eye, it gives him that extra split second to scan his options. His kicking is also pretty good for an inside player & despite not being particularly outside he can do damage if given space. Production also gets a big tick with his underage year producing an impressive 27.7 disposals, 5.7 tackles & 0.7 goals. The key from here will be ensuring his stress fractures have been managed professionally, I’m pretty confident on this count because the staff at the AFL Academy are usually ultra conservative with recovery times. Pick 28 probably overs when the draft unfolds but I see maximum value here.