2016 Draft Watch

[comrade]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

I had some involvement with state level athletics and basic endurance is the natural asset. There is no doubt it is improved remarkably with training, but the improvement is in those who already possess a base level.

Unfortunately those without any natural level never seem able to meet the training requirement to reach satisfactory levels.

Speed and power can be more easily improved, although those with natural endurance struggle to develop explosive speed/power.

Over the past few years I see Liam Jones as the absolute example of a speed/power athlete who just could not (maybe would not) improve his endurance levels.

As mentioned, Veszpremi is a perfect example. Jarrad Grant is another one to an extent. He would hunch over after little exertion well into his career with us.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Cal Twomey in his online Q&A today re WBFC:

1st pick: If Florent gets through to us, likely him. If not then likely Marshall. If both gone, he rates Hayward as 18th on form.
2nd pick: Ridley or Cedric Cox.

[Axe Man]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

After Hamling and Adams I hope we have well and truly down our homework on Cox if we are considering him as he's from outback WA.

Also would want to have a better attitude and work ethic than his brother did on The Recruit (reality show on Fox).

[kruder]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

11 - 6 in the Beep, 11:58 in the 3km.

Fair to say there is a lot of work to do on his endurance.

He did well in a lot of the other testing and was in the top 20% for the repeat sprints and agility test and the top 10% for both the 10mtr and 20mtrs times.

I'd back him in to get a lot better endurance over time.

Any idea how he compared with Liam Jones? If he can improve his endurance has as much upside as Marshall for mine. I like the fact that he has kicked 4 and 8 goals in tac cup with Marshall not really putting a game together. I wonder what chance at 50?

With Battle on the agenda today, I didn't realise what sort of a runner the kid has. You cant tell much from his vid, he looked little one dimensional but totally different story with his running power. Food for thought for sure...

[jeemak]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

I really hope we don't go Marshall. Has bust written all over him.

It's interesting that a guy like Roberts when he slid, had from memory, the performance on the board but significant attributes lacking according to watchers, and we picked him up late and he's now a premiership player. Funnily enough it's been published we really like Fletcher's deceptive ability to cover ground.

Marshall seemingly has the things Fletcher missed, but it's his consistency that is lacking. On the limited attention I've given the draft field as a result of our premiership win (I just haven't felt the need, and I've been been busy) this guy at our pick range worries me, though the limited footage of him shows him being a very dynamic thinking player. Do we have the capacity to wait for him to mature over a six year period?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

On first impressions:

Florent looks quality, he moves well.

Hayward looks like a solid prospect who can take a grab.

Marshall doesn't excite me. Looks a typical bust selection; tall, agile and quick but super skinny. Needs to put 10kgs on to compete, but will lose his agility/speed as a result, which is his strength.

Battle looks OK but would prefer if he was a bit taller/had more strings to his bow.

Gallucci looks zippy and productive but at only 183cms I'm not sure he's a great fit for us, with a few smaller guys already in our side.

Venables seems to have nice pace and power, ditto Powell-Pepper.

Berry looks the goods as somebody who does most things well and is versatile.

I like the look of Ridley. Would suit our side as a versatile player too.

Less convinced on Cedric Cox, although there's some raw ability there.

Overall, seems there's quite a bit to work with at our picks so it will be interesting to see what way it falls. Obviously when your picks are later in the draft, much of it depends on who slides etc.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

I don't think there are any genuine thoughts in the media on what player is being strongly linked to us and I guess there are positives and negatives on most of the players regarded as likely to be available with our first two picks but we will have to accept some compromise.

Todd Marshall looks to have a lot of potential but as some on here have pointed out he might be a risky selection. He could he be that Justin Westhoff type that develops into a versatile forward or could he be more like a Cameron Wright who struggled. The truth is he could be somewhere in between but if we were to select him he would have to be regarded as a long term investment.

Cedric Cox hasn't come from the AFL elite pathway and is the type that would also need a bit of time than some other players. He now resides in country Victoria however until the last 12 months he was from a remote part of WA so there has to be some questions on how he might adjust to life in Melbourne. To me he's probably more of a pick 26 option than 18 but we can be confident Dalrymple will have done his homework.

We traditionally haven't drafted a lot of players from WA of late and I don't think this is just a coincidence. How might this play out for the likes of Powell-Pepper, Shai Bolton and Josh Rotham if they were available with our early selections I'm not sure but they are talented players who have some appeal.

Josh Battle is an 192cm key forward which is a position we would like to fill however, he isn't a great athlete testing poorly in a few categories at the combine. He's a good player though so it will be interesting to see if we have him in the selection mix most likely at pick 26.

We could try and and grab a GWS academy player and put pressure on them to match it in fact I hope a lot of clubs do the same.
Kobe Mutch is a ball winning midfielder and I think he's not too dissimilar to a player we tried to nab last year in Ben Keays. He's very slow though.
Harrison Macreadie has genuine KP defender height but might be better suited to playing on a flank. Isaac Cumming might be an outside chance of being considered at pick 26. He tested very well at the combine with great results with his speed, endurance and agility plus he is regarded as a very good kick. Plays on a flank and is versatile.

We would probably look favorably towards a key defender so that that puts the likes of Jack Maibaum and Brennan Cox into the mix. Cox is the more athletic and versatile type while Maibaum more of a defensive stopper. Both players are around the 192cm mark which could be a bit undersized. Luke Ryan isn't a key defender but was probably one of the better state league players and seems to have a few clubs interested in him.

We have all read a bit on Jarrod Berry and Jordan Ridley both have a lot of appeal.

We could look at a couple of players that have had some injuries in 2016 in Alex Witherden and Daniel Venables. Both are very talented.

Oliver Florent is name is getting some mentions. Great speed and a good kick but he isn't a high possession winner.

Jordan Gallucci tested as well as anyone could hope for at the combine. A ready to go midfielder but has some questions marks around his disposal skills. Has to be a strong consideration for us.

Will Hayward might be gone before our first pick but had an impressive season and a scintillating finals campaign which I'm sure appeals to Dalrymple.

Most of the players likely to be available around our early selections have some negatives about them so it's definitely a case of what picking the players that we regard as the best available and then putting them into clubs great environment.

Looking forward to seeing who we end up picking on the night.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

afl.com.au

Tomorrow's Heroes: Jordan Gallucci leaps into contention
Ben Guthrie
November 19, 2016 9:00 AM

WHEN you break an all-time record at the NAB AFL Draft Combine, recruiters tend to take notice.

Eastern Ranges midfielder Jordan Gallucci became the new leader in the standing vertical jump test, leaping 89cm (13cm more than his rivals) to edge out US prospect Marvin Baynham's 88cm result from 2014.

He also won the repeat sprint test, and placed in the top 10 in the running vertical jump and the beep test.

However, Gallucci – a former volleyball star – is not just renowned for his athleticism. He has an insatiable work ethic, good character and leadership skills that make him an attractive option for recruiters.

While there's one standout feature, the dashing youngster's well-rounded game makes him a top-20 draft prospect.

Gallucci is a busy player who excels when breaking the lines. He ranked second in the mid-forward category of players for metres gained at the championships for Vic Metro, highlighting his ability to take the game on.

He co-captained Vic Metro to the Under-18 title and then just a week later inspired the Ranges to a resounding TAC Cup win over the Western Jets with 21 disposals and five goals.

He has the versatility to play multiple positions and the attitude to get the very best out of himself.

Gallucci is not the most polished of kicks and can make a few errors by foot.

With the need to spot up short targets a high priority at AFL level, Gallucci will need to work to improve in this area.

Gallucci has some genuine power and speed in his game and runs and carries the footy in a similar fashion to Western Bulldogs backman Jason Johannisen.

The 18-year-old also loves to tuck the footy under his arm, break clear from a stoppage and pump the footy inside 50 like Essendon's David Zaharakis.

Could sneak in as a top-15 choice, but more likely to be a late first-round or early second-round pick.

Gallucci can play in multiple positions and often provides his team with spark. He loves to dart away from traffic and set his team up to surge the footy in the right direction. He is professional in his application to the game and will thrive in an environment where he will learn more about his own game everyday.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Great article on Gallucci BT. They've acknowledged his occasional erratic kicking skills but there are plenty of positives about him. I don't think anyone could be too critical if he was a player we picked.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Great article on Gallucci BT. They've acknowledged his occasional erratic kicking skills but there are plenty of positives about him. I don't think anyone could be too critical if he was a player we picked.

I reckon the knocks on Gallucci's kicking are pretty harsh. He is a better natural kick than a Clay Smith or Josh Dunkley and can give it a fair hoof when he chooses to. He seems to go for a lot of Macrae/Hunter style dinky passes and his decision making/execution can be off which may be a coaching issue. I think he's definitely amongst the better choices, especially if still there at 26.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Fox Footy on JG:

HALFWAY through the TAC Cup season, the Eastern Ranges were in the midst of a form slump.

They were winless for the month and in need of some inspiration.

Enter Jordan Gallucci.

After a stunning national carnival for Vic Metro that earnt him All-Australian honours, Gallucci returned to skipper his Ranges against the Western Jets to produce one of the standout performances of the season.

As Eastern Ranges talent manager Len Villani recalls, it was exactly what the side needed to get its 2016 campaign back on track.

“At that point we’d lost four or five games on the trot and were struggling just to keep our head above water,” Villani tells foxfooty.com.au.

“We just needed someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck.”

Gallucci kicked five goals and racked up 21 touches that day, his actions inspiring his teammates to a resounding win over the Western Jets.

“It was one of the most dominant TAC Cup performances I’ve seen since Dyson Heppell play against the Calder Cannons several years back when he was playing for Gippsland,” Villani adds.

But while this game was memorable for Villani, it wasn’t at all an anomaly.

Throughout the TAC Cup, Gallucci averaged 20 disposals and kicked 1.8 goals per game. Only one midfielder — Hugh McCluggage, who is tipped to go at either Pick 1 or 2 in the this month’s national draft — averaged more goals from midfield in 2016.

Gallucci’s 1.6 goals assists per game was also the second-most of any TAC Cup midfielder, again behind only McCluggage.

But one area where Gallucci certainly has McCluggage covered is the speed stakes. Just ask AFL national and international talent manager Kevin Sheehan, who struggles to find a flaw in the young gun’s game.

“What separates him is that he’s a super athlete,” Sheehan tells foxfooty.com.au.

“He’s super quick and agile and super powerful. You see moments in games where he just has so much speed and agility that he’s away in the blink of an eye, or it might be a brilliant standing jump where he just jumps straight over their shoulders and does something spectacular.

“You can just see him at AFL level showing brilliant speed, even against the best of the best athletes at AFL level.”

It’s for these reasons Gallucci has already begun drawing comparisons with one of the most electric players in the game. This year’s Norm Smith medallist.

“He’s got some traits of a Jason Johannisen with his run, it’s that spectacular,” Sheehan says.

“When he goes past people it’s like a JJ. He’s prepared to take people on. If he sees someone in front of him, he’s prepared to run around them. That’s what you see in the blink of the eye at times, he breaks the lines with his speed.

“He could play as the smaller defender. The way the game is now played, you want that burst from defence. He could play that role without a problem.”

But Gallucci’s skill-set is so extensive he could arguably occupy most positions.

Indeed, it’s his versatility that makes him such an attractive prospect at the draft. The superlatives are almost endless when it comes to describing the 18-year-old, who is tipped to get picked up in the opening round.

At the combine, where invitees are put through three days of gruelling testing, the Yarra Valley Grammar schoolboy was a standout.

Gallucci set a new record for the standing vertical jump at 89cm and was the quickest in the repeat sprint test. His explosiveness across a short distance was matched by his endurance, with Gallucci’s 14.5 beep test score the equal sixth best at the combine.

So is there a catch?

“He’s not as penetrating a kick as he’d like to be at times, but at other times on the run he gets great depth with his kicking,” Sheehan says.

“That’s an area he’ll improve on in the AFL environment. Chris Judd, they say they weren’t so sure about his kicking, but it’s different when you go into a full time environment. Things get corrected very quickly

“You couldn’t question his attitude, his athletic ability and his ball-winning ability, which I think are the key requirements.”

Despite the question marks hovering over Gallucci’s ability to roost the Sherrin, he had the third-most metres gained (422m) of any midfielder at the national championships.

Even his downside has upside.

While Villani and Sheehan could barely fault Gallucci’s skills, they certainly couldn’t fault his attitude. He’s ready-made for the demanding AFL bubble, one which disposes of even the most talented of youngsters if they don’t adopt professional standards.

But the transition should be seamless for Gallucci.

“He’s a very determined and driven young man who will thrive in an AFL environment,” Villani says.

“He thrives on pressure. I think he’ll be able to adjust and play some senior footy fairly quickly.”

[bulldogtragic]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Knightmare on JG:

Promising midfielder Jordan Gallucci showed AFL-standard class, composure and impact per possession in Eastern's 50-point win over Gippsland on Saturday. Gallucci dominated with an impactful 36 disposals, six marks, six tackles and three goals.

Gallucci displayed two signature strengths multiple times throughout the game.

Firstly, Gallucci has a masterful ability to lower his eyes, immediately find a good target over a short or medium distance and hit them by foot, lace out, where they want it. A natural right-footer, his passes by foot feel Sam Mitchell-esque. The midfielder excels in lowering his eyes, making a quick decision and hitting his intended target off one or two steps.

This ability was impressive around the ground but even more so at stoppages under pressure, when he remained composed and executed well, regardless of the pressure he was under. On several occasions from centre bounces throughout the game, Gallucci would receive the ball by hand, lower his eyes, spot a good target and hit a 15-40m kick cleanly from the stoppage, setting up a shot at goal. He just weights his passes perfectly - gently putting it out in front of his intended targets and seemingly never missing.

Gallucci's second signature play which proved every bit as eye-catching at the weekend is his ability to burst away from stoppages at speed. On several different occasions throughout the match Gallucci explosively burst away and left everyone else in his wake and would then go on to deliver a clean kick to a target up the field.

Also impressive is Gallucci's leadership. Once after an Eastern goal in the second quarter, Gallucci ran 35m to one of his team-mates to offer a hand slap of encouragement before going back to the centre for the next bounce. It's those small acts that are most appreciated and team lifting and it's terrific to see Gallucci at such a young age display that.

Analysis

Gallucci is very much suited to the modern AFL game with his vision, quick decision-making, footskills, ability to move the ball on quickly off one or two steps and his explosive burst of pace. With these attributes, Gallucci can provide quick and meaningful ball movement, which is an asset all teams will be on the lookout for.

To take the next step, he would benefit from further developing his contested ball-winning ability. While at this stage Gallucci has some significant weapons through the midfield - and he is able to win some of his own ball - he is more of a receiver than someone who goes in and wins it himself. It's developing an improved contested element to his game that will take Gallucci to the next level and make him an impactful and productive player at AFL level.

With continued strong performances, the AFL Academy player is a first-round draft chance.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

I reckon the knocks on Gallucci's kicking are pretty harsh. He is a better natural kick than a Clay Smith or Josh Dunkley and can give it a fair hoof when he chooses to. He seems to go for a lot of Macrae/Hunter style dinky passes and his decision making/execution can be off which may be a coaching issue. I think he's definitely amongst the better choices, especially if still there at 26.

Very good point you've raised PP. Perhaps it's a case of him trying to minimise errors and feeling a lot safer with the short kicks.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Interesting to read JG numbers such as top 3 for metres gained and goal assists, plus heads of goals himself. Plus great or best results in standing jump, running jump, repeat sprints & beep test. Might end up 185cm or so. So he can run and sprint, and his leap might allow him to play taller or as an intercept marking player. And many liken him to JJ, having two JJ's in the side would be acceptable to me. And leadership qualities, good character and work ethic too. He certainly ticks the boxes from Bevo about flexibility.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2016 Draft Watch

Interesting to read JG numbers such as top 3 for metres gained and goal assists, plus heads of goals himself. Plus great or best results in standing jump, running jump, repeat sprints & beep test. Might end up 185cm or so. So he can run and sprint, and his leap might allow him to play taller or as an intercept marking player. And many liken him to JJ, having two JJ's in the side would be acceptable to me. And leadership qualities, good character and work ethic too. He certainly ticks the boxes from Bevo about flexibility.

I don't see the JJ comparison but they did mention Zaharakis which seems more accurate to me. He might already be gone by our pick 18 so I couldn't see him still there at 26.
I mentioned before he is a ready made midfielder so it's easy to see him playing senior football next year.