2016 Draft Watch

[GVGjr]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

OK here is some speculation with our selections

Pick 18:
Sam Powell-Pepper has a great blend of power and pace. He tested well in nearly all aspects at the combine including his kicking skills. I could see him being in the mix for senior selection early in the season.
Jordan Gallucci is a 183cm ball magnet midfielder who excelled at the combine with his athletic traits. As a midfielder he is equally at home at getting his own football or hurting teams with his run and carry. The knock on him is he is inconsistent with his kicking but assuming that can be improved Gallucci would be a very strong selection.
Todd Marshall one of the best key position prospects and reminds many of Ports Justin Westhoff. Very competitive when the ball hits the ground but there is a lot of work to do with his physical development. We would need to take a long term view.
Alex Witherden we tend to like smart players with the ball and Witherden fits that criteria. Missed a lot of football with a broken leg but he should be in the mix.
Cedric Cox is a bit of a smokey for this pick but is an excellent kick with both feet and is an exciting player to watch. There is a bit of work to do with his endurance but he hasn't come from a traditional pathway to the AFL and would be worth the investment.
Will Hayward is a talented mid sized forward who is a bit of a jumping jack and has a good burst of pace. Good mark for his size and reads the play better than most. One to watch for.


Pick 26 and 50 tomorrow.

[The Doctor]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

I would be very disappointed if we chose Cox at our first pick and to a lesser extent Marshall.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

I've got a bit of a mixed bag for our first 2 selections (at the moment):-

Powell-Pepper - versatile, ball winning player who seems to fit our model
Simpkin - we've proven a broken leg won't deter us and Simpkin adds to our midfield depth and he's versatile
Hayward - players who hurt you on the scoreboard are always in demand and Hayward gives us another smart option
Rothman - tall utility who could perhaps develop the ability to play all over the park
Ridley - as above
Bolton - notwithstanding some of the earlier comments about Bolton, a nippy player who adds some genuine pace to our front half is high on my list so I have him in the mix

[jazzadogs]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

I think foot skills should be our number one skill attribute to chase this draft.

We have lots of elite handballers, but very few elite kicks (Suckling long, Daniel short) especially at pace or under pressure.

Who would draft watchers say is the most skilled to likely be available at our pick?

[The Doctor]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

wouldn't mind if this fellow joined the club!

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-11-01/tomorrows-heroes-sam-powellpepper-bigbodied-mid-ready-for-afl

[GVGjr]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

I would be very disappointed if we chose Cox at our first pick and to a lesser extent Marshall.

Any reasons for that Doc?

[The Doctor]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Any reasons for that Doc?

Not at the first pick. Thought Cox was really poor against his peers in the O'Loughlin v Judd game. Maybe there was a reason for it, I don't know. He looks very outside to me and while he's a delightful kick I worry that he will be of those guys that go missing too often. I'm certain there will be better options at our 1st pick.

I would prefer Battle to Marshall. I think we could use a developing tall forward and Battle has a better all round game and has proven himself against quality opposition more often. What has Marshall really achieved so far to warrant being a high draft pick other than he plays as a tall forward? While he probably has a lot of development in him he looks like a boom or bust prospect to me and I don't like unnecessary risks in the 1st round, or 2nd round for that matter. Clayton knocked this out of me!!

[GVGjr]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Not at the first pick. Thought Cox was really poor against his peers in the O'Loughlin v Judd game. Maybe there was a reason for it, I don't know. He looks very outside to me and while he's a delightful kick I worry that he will be of those guys that go missing too often. I'm certain there will be better options at our 1st pick.

I would prefer Battle to Marshall. I think we could use a developing tall forward and Battle has a better all round game and has proven himself against quality opposition more often. What has Marshall really achieved so far to warrant being a high draft pick other than he plays as a tall forward? While he probably has a lot of development in him he looks like a boom or bust prospect to me and I don't like unnecessary risks in the 1st round, or 2nd round for that matter. Clayton knocked this out of me!!

My concern with Battle is that at 192cm without a great level of athleticism he could only really play as a deep forward. Even his ability to jump is almost non existent and he was extremely poor in the agility test at the combine. His 3km effort was very good but he then was the slowest recorded for the repeat sprints.

Regarding Cox, I saw him a few times during the year and while he doesn't get the ball a lot he just looks to have the potential to become a better player in the professional environment. He's made a huge step forward during the season and as I noted in a previous post he is coming from a long way back compared to his peers. Pick 18 might be a stretch but he should be around the mark of between 18 and 26.

Clayton had a lot of early picks in rounds one or two when he was with us, so while I agree that you don't take unnecessary risks with early selections we occasionally do need to find a point of difference within players when we can.

[Twodogs]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Does anyone think we might go with a more mature ready made type like Adams last year with our second pick?

If so are there any likely types in stare leagues?

[GVGjr]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Pick 26:

Jordon Ridley is a 192cm lightning quick defender who can also play in the midfield. He's a strong mark and excellent kick. Versatility is one of his best strengths
Jarrod Berry is another versatile defender/midfielder who had some impressive results at the combine with a mixture of speed and endurance. At 191cm he can play in a variety pf positions.
Harrison Macreadie a 195cm defender who is an academy prospect for GWS should they match the bid. I like the way he plays as he is composed and he could switch between a key defenders role or off half back.
Isaac Cumming - Another GWS boy and he is an impressive footballer capable of playing in multiple positions. Athletically he is excellent and featured highly in many categories of the combine. His kicking skills are very good as well which also appeals to me. Some might say to take him at 26 is a stretch but to me he is close to the mark.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

I've got a bit of a mixed bag for our first 2 selections (at the moment):-

Pepper-Powell - versatile, ball winning player who seems to fit our model
Simpkin - we've proven a broken leg won't deter us and Simpkin adds to our midfield depth and he's versatile
Hayward - players who hurt you on the scoreboard are always in demand and Hayward gives us another smart option
Rothman - tall utility who could perhaps develop the ability to play all over the park
Ridley - as above
Bolton - notwithstanding some of the earlier comments about Bolton, a nippy player who adds some genuine pace to our front half is high on my list so I have him in the mix

GD, Rotham is a mixed bag with his athleticism. Tested so well in some area's and poorly in others. At 192cm where do you see him playing at the senior level?

[Go_Dogs]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

GD, Rotham is a mixed bag with his athleticism. Tested so well in some area's and poorly in others. At 192cm where do you see him playing at the senior level?

As you allude to, his speed is very strong however his aerobic ability needs quite a bit of work.

With his speed though, I'd say he can be a versatile third tall defender who can play on a variety of types. I'm not sure how much size he'll be able to put on, so it may limit his ability to play on monsters but be could provide a good option on players from 184-194cm, as not many will have the wheels to beat him on the lead. As (if) other parts of his game develop, he could be a good option further up the field, too.

I'm not 100% sold on him, but he's a bit different to most of what we have with the combination of his speed and size.

[The Doctor]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

It's such a good draft that making decisions at our picks won't be easy. There are so many different types to choose from you could build a case for any number of players. I can't quite put my finger on who I'd like to get with our first 2 picks such is the spread this year.

[The Doctor]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Brett Anderson says we are keen on Cedric Cox, Marshall and Hayward are other possibilities if available at our 1st pick

[GVGjr]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Brett Anderson says we are keen on Cedric Cox, Marshall and Hayward are other possibilities if available at our 1st pick

I'm not sure how he goes with his predictions but they might be around the mark.

Perhaps he might be seen as a risky player but Powell-Pepper has some appeal to me.
I'm warming towards Hayward as well but I'm leaning towards Gallucci.

At pick 15 to 30 the talent pool I think is regarded as very even but I would imagine Dalrymple will still be able to select players we regard as top 12 to 20 types.