2014 draft watch

[Axe Man]

Re: 2014 draft watch

Yes my answer was far too simplistic - agreed, I didn't explain myself well. However, a player that has had an ACL is a bigger risk for pick one.

Fair enough.

For mine if he is clearly the best available at our pick (in our recruiters minds) and the medical reports on his knee are satisfactory then I would take the risk. However if he was line ball with another player without the injury concerns then take the safer option.

[Twodogs]

Re: 2014 draft watch

Not these days mate.

I dunno. I think the natural footballer is making a comeback.

[Bornadog]

Re: 2014 draft watch

I dunno. I think the natural footballer is making a comeback.

with no pace.?

[ledge]

Re: 2014 draft watch

with no pace.?

If you play in the middle and are jumping on the ball all
The time handballing it out eg Tom Liberatore do you need pace ?

[jeemak]

Re: 2014 draft watch

If you play in the middle and are jumping on the ball all
The time handballing it out eg Tom Liberatore do you need pace ?

Tom is a good performer over the first 20 from memory.

It's about how quick you get to top pace these days anyway (aside from ability to repeat the effort), such is the limitation on space for mids.

[Mofra]

Re: 2014 draft watch

Tom is a good performer over the first 20 from memory.

It's about how quick you get to top pace these days anyway (aside from ability to repeat the effort), such is the limitation on space for mids.

Bonti was in the bottom 90% at draft camp for 20m sprints IIRC
I think he'll be ok

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2014 draft watch

What's Harry Taylor's pace like?

[Axe Man]

Re: 2014 draft watch

Boom draft prospect Wright can handle the hype

LIKELY top five draft prospect Peter Wright felt the eyes trained on him.

In Wright's mind, the young forward who shaped as a possible No.1 draft pick at the beginning of the season, the recruiters were monitoring his every move.

The all-consuming feeling was gnawing away him, until a frank conversation with Calder Cannons talent manager Ian Kyte set him straight.

"I put as much pressure on myself as everyone else," Wright told AFL.com.au.

"But earlier in the season I was battling with it too much.

"I was looking into the media and what was being said and that was influencing how I was playing."

Wright was safe to assume people were watching him.

Along with Geelong Falcons forward Patrick McCartin, the 203cm, 102kg key forward is considered the best key position prospect in this year's draft crop.

Wright can play centre-half forward, where he feels like he is most suited. He can play deep forward where he has had success. But he can also step into the ruck and motor up and down the ground with great fluidity.

The 18-year-old can run a 14.5 beep test and has clocked a time of three seconds flat over 20m.

That is seriously good going for a player who has already drawn comparisons to St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt.

After a relatively quiet patch at the start of the year, Wright started to hit his straps ahead of the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships in July.

The Cannons planned it that way, ensuring he would peak at the right time.

A 'Jake Carlisle' type game, in which Wright gathered 29 disposals, took 14 marks and booted four goals in the last game of the TAC Cup season, confirmed the young forward's standing in the draft.

Carlisle produced a similar game in 2009 for the Cannons when he had 36 disposals, 18 marks and five goals in one of the most dominant individual displays Kyte has seen.

"He's very conscious of his own performance," Kyte said of Wright.

"But I think he's matured a lot.

"That's probably another area that we've had to really work with him at."

Who were the top performers at this year's NAB AFL Draft Combine?

Wright has a naturally reserved personality. He doesn't seek the limelight, but rather the limelight seems to follow him.

Kyte urged Wright to throw his weight around, give his opponents some lip and exude more confidence out on the field.

"Some people might say you see that confidence too much in other people," Kyte said.

"But out on the footy ground you can become a bit more like that."

Wright went through the disappointment of missing Calder's Grand Final loss to the Oakleigh Chargers, having been ruled out after injuring his knee in the previous week's preliminary final against the Dandenong Stingrays.

Those at the ground describe it as a "horrible" looking injury and, after an initial reassuring sideline examination by Cannons doctor David Bolzonello, an MRI scan was arranged for the next day.

Fearing the worst when he visited orthopaedic surgeon Hayden Morris, Wright was relieved to find the scan revealed a popliteus muscle tear and a minor sprain of ligaments behind the knee.

A popliteus tear can happen when the knee is bent against resistance while the lower leg or tibia bone is rotated outwards.

Wright's injury was a classic case and Morris was shocked the young forward had escaped without any anterior cruciate ligament damage.

"How he didn't snap everything, I don't know?" Kyte said.

Frustratingly he was unable to participate in any testing at last week's NAB AFL Draft Combine and had to settle for a series of meetings with a range of clubs.

Wright is now two to three weeks away from being back to 100 per cent fit and will begin to ramp up his preparation ahead of November's draft.

Kyte believes Wright will thrive in an AFL environment, given he already has a solid base underneath him.

"Once he gets on to an AFL type training program, he's going to be a monster," Kyte said.

[Throughandthrough]

Re: 2014 draft watch

By ZAC MILBANK | Twitter @zacmilbank

Glenelg’s Ben Edwards has thrust himself in front of AFL scouts after starring at Saturday’s State Screening at Wayville.

The high-leaping forward posted the best results in four major categories as he displayed his athletic prowess leading into next month’s AFL National Draft.

The 19-year-old – who measures in at 192cm and just 73kg – claimed honours in the standing vertical leap, running vertical leap, the 20m sprint and the 30m repeat sprints.

‘’He’s a really motivated kid,’’ Glenelg talent manager Brenton Hole said.

‘’He certainly had his game face on during the event on Saturday as he wanted to do well. You could see he had done some preparation leading into it.’’

Originally from Minlaton on the Yorke Peninsula, Edwards transferred to the Tigers after playing only a handful of junior matches with Woodville-West Torrens.

Now living with his mother near the Morphettville Racecourse, Edwards rucked for the CMS Crows while winning the A-Grade YPFL premiership in 2013.

‘’This is Ben’s first year at the footy club,’’ Glenelg football manager Matt Lokan said.

‘’We invited him out to do the pre-season with the juniors. After his first couple of games with the Under-18s, we were impressed with the way he attacked the footy and marked the footy so he ended up playing about 10 or 12 games in the reserves including our final.

‘’He was outstanding. He’s a pretty skinny kid but he has a great leap and good speed.’’

While Edwards still has a long way to go in his development, Lokan likened him to Sydney superstar Lance Franklin.

‘’He’s a bit Franklin like – if you were going to compare him to anyone in the AFL - because his tank (endurance) is so good,’’ Lokan said.

‘’He won’t take big pack marks but once he gets out on his own, he is pretty hard to stop in space.

‘’He’s obviously not at the stage of Lance Franklin now but he reminds me of Franklin in the way he can move. I think he could be a tall winger at some stage as his ability to be able to cover the ground is great.’’

Sturt’s Henry Carey was the other player to put his attributes on display, winning the beep test at level 14.8 and the agility run in 8.15 seconds.

The McDonald’s SA Under-18 championship player – who measures in at 183cm and 78kg - also finished equal second in the standing vertical leap, second in the 20m sprint and third in the 30m repeat sprint.

Norwood star Matthew Panos was unable to test after being diagnosed with a bout of dengue fever after holidaying in Bali.

But the Jack Oatey Medallist, who transformed himself into a clearance-winning midfielder this season, is confident his performance at league level will hold him in good stead.

‘’Being able to change my game and play in a different position should help,’’ said Panos, who has spent the past two years at Norwood after being delisted by the Western Bulldogs.

‘’I had always been pigeon-holed as a forward but I have also played in defence in the past couple of years and playing the midfield this year, I’ve showed I can be quite flexible.’’

STATE SCREENING RESULTS – TOP 5

Beep Test
Henry Carey (Sturt) - Level 14.8
Adam Gulden (South) – Level 14.5
Josh Hone (Sturt) – Level 13.10
Zac Richards (Norwood) – Level 13.5
Brett Turner (West) – Level 13.5

Repeat Sprints (6 x 30m)
Ben Edwards (Glenelg) 25.50sec
Adam Gulden (South) 25.62sec
Henry Carey (Sturt) 25.66sec
Mac Bower (Norwood) 26.00sec
Josh Hone (Sturt) 26.02sec

Agility Run
Henry Carey (Sturt) 8.15sec
Brett Turner (West) 8.22sec
Josh Hone (Sturt) 8.28sec
Ben Edwards (Glenelg) 8.33sec
Mac Bower (Norwood) 8.41sec

20m Sprint
Ben Edwards (Glenelg) 2.91secs
Henry Carey (Sturt) 3.05secs
Josh Hone (Sturt) 3.10secs
Adam Gulden (South) 3.10secs
Mac Bower (Norwood) 3.10secs
Zac Richards (Norwood) 3.10secs

Standing Vertical Leap
Ben Edwards (Glenelg) 73cm
Adam Gulden (South) 62cm
Henry Carey (Sturt) 62cm
Josh Hone (Sturt) 61cm
Brett Turner (West) 61cm
Mac Bower (Norwood) 61cm

Running Vertical Leap
Ben Edwards (Glenelg) 88cm
Adam Gulden (South) 83cm
Brett Turner (West) 80cm
Callum Wilkie (North) 79cm
Josh Hone (Sturt) 75cm

[Throughandthrough]

Re: 2014 draft watch

[GVGjr]

Re: 2014 draft watch

Just having a look at Brett Anderson's Inside Footy project draft

At pick 26 he has Connor Blakely
At pick 27 he has Oscar McDonald
At pick 39 he has Harrison Wigg

For picks 45 and 46 he has done the rookie upgrades which hopefully won't be the case

Cordy at 64

[GVGjr]

Re: 2014 draft watch

For what it's worth, I did a rough draft the other day.

26 - Daniel McKenzie
27 - Ed Vickers-Willis (Oscar McDonald)
39 - Lukas Webb
45 - Dean Gore
46 - Ben Edwards

[Maddog37]

Re: 2014 draft watch

For what it's worth, I did a rough draft the other day.

26 - Daniel McKenzie
27 - Ed Vickers-Willis (Oscar McDonald)
39 - Lukas Webb
45 - Dean Gore
46 - Ben Edwards

Would be super happy with that. Webb and Gore especially.

[Throughandthrough]

Re: 2014 draft watch

Ben Edwards

https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Ben+Edwards&ss=0&ct=0&mt=all&w=93216741%40N02&adv=1

Harrison Wigg

https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Wigg&ss=0&ct=0&mt=all&w=93216741%40N02&adv=1

[Remi Moses]

Re: 2014 draft watch

Be delighted ( on the limited exposure granted ) if Blakely fell to us.
Generally someone does fall through .