2015: Rookies

[Braider]

Thurlow would have/will be an exception when they actually give him an extended run and game time in the seniors, will be a very handy half back or wingman for the Cats, I like him a lot.

..which is my point exactly. That's been one of the frustration with many Cats rookies in their first year.

 

[Goodie's Guns]

..which is my point exactly. That's been one of the frustration with many Cats rookies in their first year.

Yep so true. Has looked good in the games that they actually have given him a crack in.

 

[yakka]

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2014-12-08/vandenberg-a-mint-investment

 

[Feerits Elf]

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2014-12-08/vandenberg-a-mint-investment

Again with the 56-possession mythmaking!

Even Vandenberg himself questions its legitimacy.

 

[yakka]

Hopefully his available R1

 

[Philzsay]

Just quietly, Jayden Laverde (m/f) has been very impressive so far at the True Value Solar Centre.

 

[Rowsus]

Just quietly, Jayden Laverde (m/f) has been very impressive so far at the True Value Solar Centre.

Yeah, I heard his tan is really coming along nicely!

 

[Goodie's Guns]

Just quietly, Jayden Laverde (m/f) has been very impressive so far at the True Value Solar Centre.

Yeah, I heard his tan is really coming along nicely!

Well played Rowsus, well played

 

[yakka]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-12-20/no-limits-for-young-saints

 

[yakka]

Hannath, J $191,700 FRE FWD
VS
Wright, P $187,300 GCS FWD
VS
Grimley, S $176,500 HAW FWD
VS
Naismith, S $150,000 SYD
Vs
Durdin, S $147,300 NTH DEF

 

[Goodie's Guns]

Hannath, J $191,700 FRE FWD
VS
Wright, P $187,300 GCS FWD
VS
Grimley, S $176,500 HAW FWD
VS
Naismith, S $150,000 SYD
Vs
Durdin, S $147,300 NTH DEF

Who is the most likely to get games is the question I guess you need to answer.
Hannath maybe but geez whats the point of having him if he's fourth in the pecking order.
Wright and Durdin both recruited this year, in my mind probably the two most likely to get games for their clubs but really thats just taking a guess.
This one you might not be able to answer until either NAB Challenge or team selections the night prior to round 1 unfortunately.

 

[Bontempele]

Hannath, J $191,700 FRE FWD
VS
Wright, P $187,300 GCS FWD
VS
Grimley, S $176,500 HAW FWD
VS
Naismith, S $150,000 SYD
Vs
Durdin, S $147,300 NTH DEF

None of them.

Hannath is behind Sandi and Griffin (only 1 will play).
Wright is behind Day, Dixon and Lynch, could potentially play late in the season if 1 is injured.
Grimley is behind Mcevoy, Ceglar and Hale (2 should play).
Naismith is behind Pyke and Derickx (only 1 will play).
Durdin is a key back and won't play unless kangas are destroyed by injuries.

 

[Goodie's Guns]

None of them.

Hannath is behind Sandi and Griffin (only 1 will play).
Wright is behind Day, Dixon and Lynch, could potentially play late in the season if 1 is injured.
Grimley is behind Mcevoy, Ceglar and Hale (2 should play).
Naismith is behind Pyke and Derickx (only 1 will play).
Durdin is a key back and won't play unless kangas are destroyed by injuries.

Yeah essentially the point I was trying to make as well. Hahahaha

 

[IDIG]

Just giving this a bump for those who are like me and know next to nothing about the blokes drafted

The verdict: Did your club get what it needed at the 2014 NAB AFL Draft?
Callum Twomey November 29, 2014 1:15 PM


ADELAIDE
Draft selections: 14, 35, 43, 59
What we said before the draft: Should look for a key position player to add depth on one of those lines, having lost plenty of height in recent years. Some ruck support would be excellent.
What happened: Well, they pretty much delivered on those aims. Jake Lever getting through to the Crows was everything they could have hoped for, and he'll be a long-term defender for the club. Mitch McGovern adds tall depth in attack, while Harry Dear is another forward/ruck option who was worth a shot later on. They added some class in small left-footed defender Harrison Wigg, in what was a strong draft for the club.

BRISBANE LIONS
Draft selections: 44 (academy selection Liam Dawson), 63 (academy selection Harris Andrews), 67, 81, 117 (father-son selection Josh Clayton).
What we said before the draft: Will take what's on offer so late in the piece, but a running medium defender would be ideal.
What happened: As expected, the Lions found two taller defenders to build their stocks in that area. Tasmanian pair Josh McGuinness and Josh Watts were value picks late in the draft when the Lions entered proceedings, while Jaden McGrath will add some creativity. Having another tall in Harris Andrews and rebounder Liam Dawson already sewn up through the academy bidding system gave them a nice platform to build from.

CARLTON
Draft selections: 19, 28, 61, 65.
What we said before the draft: Need run and carry players, having already stocked their midfield with ball-winners.
What happened? Despite having been strongly linked to Blaine Boekhorst in the lead-up, it was still a surprise the Blues picked the 21-year-old at No.19. However, he is a runner who likes to give good drive through the midfield, which is what they addressed as a need. Dillon Viojo-Rainbow does that too, while Carlton also added another key forward to its ranks in Jayden Foster, who was eligible to join the Western Bulldogs under the father-son rule. Clem Smith offers some power and physicality in defence.

COLLINGWOOD
Draft selections: 5, 9 (father-son selection Darcy Moore), 30, 48, 85.
What we said before the draft: If they can find a couple of medium midfielders to add to their mix it would be ideal, having already secured tall Darcy Moore as a father-son.
What happened? The Pies clearly addressed their midfield needs by picking Jordan De Goey, a hard and tough half-forward who will become a full-time midfielder in time. Brayden Maynard is even more physical, while Matthew Goodyear was long on their radar and adds excellent athleticism. Those three, plus Moore already sorted, would make for a happy Pies' recruiting team.

ESSENDON
Draft selections: 17, 20, 62 (promoted Patrick Ambrose)
What we said before the draft: If they could snap up a midfielder and a tall it would be a perfect result. A runner should be a priority.
What happened? We said a tall and a runner would be ideal, and the Bombers might have got both in one pick with Jayden Laverde, an exciting 189cm midfielder who can play nearly anywhere. Another area the Bombers have struggled with in recent times is looking for a lead-up half-forward, and Kyle Langford fills that gap. He's very good in the air, and has a great tank.

FREMANTLE
Draft selections: 13, 34, 54, 72
What we said before the draft: They might be in a great spot to have a tall slip to them.
What happened? They were in a great spot for the tall, and three were there to get, but Lachie Weller was too and they clearly viewed him the better player ahead of the likes of Sam Durdin, Jake Lever and Hugh Goddard. The classy midfielder will be a nice addition for the Dockers and is a really good player, but it was a little bit surprising the Dockers didn't grab a tall later in the draft. Big-bodied midfielder Connor Blakely joined Weller, and then there was Ed Langdon, a light-bodied midfielder who can run all day long. Their final selection was 179cm forward Josh Deluca-Cardillo.

GEELONG
Draft selections: 10, 47, 55, 60, 71 (promoted Mark Blicavs)
What we said before the draft: Having lost some speedy types through the trade period, securing a player with pace would be high on the to-do list. A key defender might be possible too.
What happened? The Cats pulled the late surprise, with Nakia Cockatoo making his way to the Gold Coast on Wednesday night for the draft. The explosive and powerful indigenous midfielder from Darwin only played one game this year through injury (how high would he have gone had he played a full season?), and has the speed to light up games. We thought the Cats could go for a tall at some stage, but they instead went with inside midfielder Dean Gore, and two more speedy half-forward/midfielders in Cory Gregson and Jordan Cunico.

GOLD COAST
Draft selections: 8, 15, 29, 66 (promoted Andrew Boston), 90 (promoted Josh Hall).
What we said before the draft: A lock-down small defender would be handy, but there's not much the Suns are desperate for. Can afford to pick the best available.
What happened? Went with that policy as we suggested, with ruckman Peter Wright too good to pass up at pick eight, despite their log of talls. Jarrod Garlett was long-linked to the club and will provide great run and dash, while Touk Miller would be expecting to play a fair bit of footy next year. He's got a bit of Lewis Taylor's style in him: he's small, but he makes an impact, and he can tackle and add defensive pressure.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
Draft selections: 4, 6, 7, 23, 24 (academy selection Jack Steele) 80, 96 (academy selection Jeremy Finlayson)
What we said before the draft: A dose of brilliance could be the only thing the Giants are missing in their squad. Could do with some tall depth after off-season departures.
What happened? The club ticked the brilliance box with its first selection in Jarrod Pickett, a speedy, electrifying half-forward who can win games off his own boot. There isn't a player quite like him at the Giants, so there's a spot there for him if he can continue to improve. Paul Ahern is in the same box, and is another classy indigenous recruit, while the Giants also went tall with Caleb Marchbank as one of their three top-10 selections. Pulled the shock of the draft by taking Pat McKenna with selection No.23, having watched him at Gisborne Football Club in Victoria this year.

HAWTHORN
Draft selections: 31, 49, 50, 68, (promoted rookie Dallas Willsmore), 77 (promoted rookie Zac Webster).
What we said before the draft: A tall forward would be ideal, but is unlikely where the Hawks enter the draft. The 'best available' card works here for the Hawks, particularly with such a commanding list already.
What happened? They added Dan Howe with their first selection at No.31, while midfielder Teia Miles grew on a lot of clubs later in the draft. The Hawks clearly thought they needed another young ruckman after the off-season departure of Luke Lowden, so grabbed Marc Pittonet. He was the first pure ruck chosen at the draft.

MELBOURNE
Draft selections: 2, 3, 40, 42 (father-son selection Billy Stretch), 53, 83 (promoted Neville Jetta)
What we said before the draft: Paul Roos has spoken about the club needing to beef up its midfield. Another tall defender would also be a nice addition if possible.
What happened? Picked the two best midfielders available, so can go home very, very content. The Dees are huge winners in this draft, and the club will already be brimming with excitement at unleashing Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw in its midfield. Billy Stretch was a father-son bargain and has already started training at the club, while Stretch's close mate Alex Neal-Bullen was a surprise to be available at pick 40. He's another dependable midfielder, meaning the Dees really stocked up in that department. It also landed key back Oscar McDonald at No.53, a key defender who will line up alongside brother Tom at the dees.

NORTH MELBOURNE
Draft selections: 15, 25, 36, 56 (promoted Joel Tippett), 72 (promoted Kayne Turner).
What we said before the draft: The club will likely target a key defender at some stage of the draft, with outside class also on the agenda.
What happened? The Roos were very quick to read out Sam Durdin's name at pick 16, for he was the type of player they would have been hoping would fall through to them. The South Australian is better placed as a key defender, but at 197cm can also push forward. In the end, the Roos went for tall defenders with all three of their picks, grabbing Daniel Nielson at No.25 and Ed Vickers-Willis at No.36. Although they didn't go for a midfielder at any stage with their three selections, the three talls will shore up that area of the ground for some time.

PORT ADELAIDE
Draft selections: 57, 75, 84, 93, 100 (promoted Kane Mitchell)
What we said before the draft: Have no pressing needs for anything in particular, but perhaps another young ruckman could be on the agenda if available.
What happened? Geoff Parker and his recruiting team obviously identified young key position players as a priority, because the Power's four picks were all 188cm and above. Dougal Howard and Logan Austin came out of the GWS Academy, while Billy Frampton was the ruckman they secured at pick 84.

RICHMOND
Draft selections: 12, 33, 52, 70, 88 (promoted Anthony Miles)
What we said before the draft: It's a good chance for the Tigers to bring more skill to their midfield.
What happened? As expected they picked classy midfielder Corey Ellis at pick 12, and he's one of the better users of the ball in the draft pool. Don't be surprised to see him to settle in fine and look right at home. While Ellis isn't super quick, the Tigers' next four selections all bring great speed to the club's list. Connor Menadue, Nathan Drummond and Daniel Butler are quick and get the ball going, while power forward Reece McKenzie is also an extremely talented athlete who had a good year in the TAC Cup. He'll be given time to work on his game.

ST KILDA
Draft selections: 1, 21, 22, 41, 75 (promoted Darren Minchington), 86 (promoted Cameron Shenton), 95 (promoted Eli Templeton), 102 (promoted Mav Weller)
What we said before the draft: They have to make all three top-25 picks winners. A tall forward and more midfield depth would be the ideal mix.
What happened? They went for the big and strong power forward at No.1 in Paddy McCartin, and it was a fair and logical decision ahead of Christian Petracca, the other main contender. Key forwards are too hard to find and too expensive to lure (usually), and they have selected a very loyal and popular one. The Saints would have been rapt to add a key defender with its next pick in Hugh Goddard, while Daniel McKenzie is a flanker who can jump and provide rebound. Having lost a number of small forward types in recent seasons, Jack Lonie was another smart pick. A successful night for the Saints and they added talent to each line on the ground.






SYDNEY SWANS
Draft selections: 18 (academy selection Isaac Heeney), 37, 38 (academy selection Jack Hiscox), 76 (academy selection Abe Davis), 94 (promoted Xavier Richards), 112 (promoted Jake Lloyd), 130 (promoted Daniel Robinson)
What we said before the draft: The Swans covered most bases with the academy selections in October, where they picked up two midfielders and a mobile defender. The search for a key defender might need to wait until the rookie draft.
What happened? The Swans' only live selection was James Rose, a half-forward from Sturt who has some spark. The club's real present was unwrapped last month when midfielder Isaac Heeney officially joined the Swans, and he is close to the best midfielder in the draft pool. To get him at pick No.18 made the Swans winners no matter what happened later on.

WEST COAST
Draft selections: 11, 32, 51, 69, 87 (father-son selection Alec Waterman), 105 (promoted Callum Sinclair).
What we said before the draft: The Eagles need midfield depth and class and can address that early if the right player is there.
What happened? Went for a very safe bet with Liam Duggan at pick 11, and will be rapt he got through to their pick. He'll bring class and intelligence and is just a really good, rounded player. The next pick for the Eagles could be a little like Jack Darling all over again. Tom Lamb will add to their midfield group, and will love the wide, open spaces of Patersons Stadium where he can use his athleticism and endurance. Damien Cavka is in the same boat, and he was selected at No.66, while Jackson Nelson can play in the midfield, too. The Eagles will welcome five players who can all add something a bit different to their on-ball division.

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Draft selections: 26, 27, 39, 45, 46, 62 (father-son selection Zaine Cordy), 82 (promoted Jack Redpath), 100 (promoted Lin Jong).
What we said before the draft: Outside run and speed and perhaps another half-back could be priority.
What happened? The Dogs went surprisingly small at the draft, with an average height of 179cm for their five live selections. That's not to say they went wrong – but just to point out that the club clearly thought it needed more ground-level players. Small forwards Toby McLean, Declan Hamilton, Bailey Dale and Caleb Daniel should add some presence near goal, while Lukas Webb's lovely left-foot kicking will see him develop into a role off half-back. Although we thought they might grab another tall defender, they had already selected Zaine Cordy as a father-son pick and signed delisted Cat Joel Hamling, so had that area covered.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs

 

[BC]

Just looking at my round 1 team from last year.
Tyson, Polec, Michi(fail), c. Beams, Ellis.
Seemed a walk in the park getting these guys right.
Looks a little harder this time around

 

[Ricky Bobby]

Just looking at my round 1 team from last year.
Tyson, Polec, Michi(fail), c. Beams, Ellis.
Seemed a walk in the park getting these guys right.
Looks a little harder this time around

Agreed, but hopefully some viable options make themselves obvious during preseason. I think the Mids will take care of themselves, and even the Fwds look like there may be 1 or 2 however I am more concerned about Def as my current structure is reliant on 2-3 reasonable & cheapish rookie options to be playing from Round 1 and I'm not very confident that they actually exist at the moment.

 

[anfa18]

Just looking at my round 1 team from last year.
Tyson, Polec, Michi(fail), c. Beams, Ellis.
Seemed a walk in the park getting these guys right.
Looks a little harder this time around

C. Beams didn't play the first 8 rounds...

 

[Monya Meow Meow]

I see many people picking Fuller as one of their defensive rookies.
Is it just purely to fill in that spot or is he rumored to get games?

 

[IDIG]

I think he's just a filler tbh MMM, from what i've read no real chance of getting a game.

 

[Ben's Beasts]

I know it's still early in the pre-season but I think it would be a good idea to share what we think of the rookie priced players at the clubs we support and what their chances of playing round 1 are like at this stage. It may allow us all to structure our team more soundly and know how much money we have left to spend by slotting in the most likely rookie priced players.

For this exercise, rookie priced players are priced at $222,300 or below which is the number 1 draft pick, McCartin's, starting price.

I'll kick it off with my beloved Dees:

Oscar McDonald $117,300 (DEF): Still very raw and skinny. Will develop in the VFL. No chance of playing round 1.

Mitchell White $102,400 (DEF): On the rookie list and raw. No chance of playing round 1.

Aidan Riley $221,600 (MID): Pigdog played a few senior games last year but at this stage is on the fringe of our best 22. He might play round 1 but he is pricey for a rookie and may wear the vest. I would look elsewhere.

Christian Petracca $217,300 (MID/FWD): The kid is a beast and has the best chance out of all our picks from the 2014 national draft to play round 1 but at this stage he is no guarantee. Would be very likely to wear the vest in his first few games if he is able to break into the round 1 team. Obviously quite pricey too.

Ben Newton $215,000 (MID): The ex Power player Has been very solid at training and is a definite chance to line up in our round 1 side. Would watch him closely during NAB Challenge. Obviously pricey though so even if he did line up round 1 it may be tricky to fit him in to our SC sides.

Angus Brayshaw $212,30 (MID): The kid is very talented but at this stage it is looking as though he isn't ready to play AFL straight away. We'll know more after NAB but at this stage I'm not expecting him to line up round 1.

Aaron Vandenberg $127,900 (MID): On the rookie list and in the rehab group after coming back from a shoulder injury, it's unlikely that the mature aged player will line up round 1 but he may get a chance at some stage this year if he is able to be upgraded. Potential downgrade target.

James Harmes $123,900 (MID): On the rookie list and unlikely to be upgraded as Vandenberg would be most likely to be upgraded first. Won't play round 1.

Jayden Hunt $123,900 (MID): Picked up in the 2013 draft, Hunt is still very raw at the moment and very unlikely to line up round 1.

Billy Stretch $123,900 (MID): A father-son selection that was a bargain selection but still very skinny and raw and very unlikely to play round 1 at this stage.

Alex Neal-Bullen $117,300 (MID): ANB dislocated his knee earlier this pre-season but escaped serious damage. He is in the rehab group at the moment. Won't play round 1.

Max King $123,900 (RUC): The project ruckman is still on the rookie list and is down the pecking order as far as our ruckman go. No chance of playing round 1.

Christian Salem $185,000 (FWD): Has been training strongly and is most likely in our best 22. A good chance to line up round 1 but may wear the vest. A bit pricey too but if he avoids the vest round 1 then he could be a handy pick.

Jesse Hogan $130,400 (FWD): Just lock him in and throw away the key. Unless he is injured, he is almost guaranteed to play round 1.

So out of all those players the only one I would put in your starting side is Hogan. If you are ok with picking pricey rookies then Salem may be worth a look. Then Newton, Riley and Petracca are unlikely but a chance of lining up round 1 in that order.

Would be great to hear from some others regarding rookies from your supported team if you get the time!