Jeff Farmer:
Opponents can't stop him, and no anagram can get near him either.
Cameron Faulkner: Lack One Run Frame
The Bulldogs don't lack running players, and Faulkner is a part of their great depth.
Matthew Ferguson: Few Hot Arguments
There didn't seem to be any opposition at the Saints to redrafting him.
Ryan Ferguson: One Angry Surf
Might as well go down to the coast to surf in the big waves, not getting a game with Melbourne.
Brendan Fevola: Bar Fan Love Den
Sometimes anagrams are a waste of time, but other times the new words do hit their target.
Aaron Fiora: On A Fair Oar
Maybe if Oar could mean contract.
Michael Firrito: If I'm Rhetorical
He probably isn't.
Bradley Fisher: Debrief Rashly
They play the game poorly, and don't learn anything postgame either.
Leigh Fisher: Higher Flies
Not sure he can do it, but if he wants to go for marks then he might as well.
Sam Fisher: He Miss Far
He is a better kick than his anagram says.
Ben Fixter: Rent Be Fix
The Lions rented him to fix some of their depth problems.
Chad Fletcher: Her Catch Fled
Most West Coast players have complimentary anagrams, probably not the case here.
Dustin Fletcher: The Friends Cult
Is part of Sheedy's core group of players.
Nathan Foley: Hate Only Fan
He has more than one fan, and he doesn't hate them.
Nic Fosdike: Kinds Of Ice
Sydney's opponents who play against Fosdike and their other onballers need to apply all kinds of ice after games.
Lance Franklin: Infernal Clank
Sounds like something from a Lost In Space TV episode, probably talking about his opponent.
Josh Fraser: So Fresh Jar
Coach Malthouse might try to keep him fresh with an occasional rest.
To see how much things will have changed in a year here are the players who lined up in round 1 2006, and the possibility of them playing in round 1 2007.
Adelaide Crows:
There in round 1 2007:
Mark Ricciuto
Andrew McLeod
Brett Burton
Simon Goodwin
Tyson Edwards
Martin Mattner
Graham Johncock
Ben Rutten
Scott Thompson
Nathan Bassett
Ian Perrie
Matthew Bode
Brent Reilly
Robert Shirley
Probably there:
Ken McGregor
Nathan van Berlo
Little or no chance:
Rhett Biglands
Trent Hentschel
Ben Hart
Matthew Clarke
Chris Knights
Bernie Vince
Essendon Bombers:
There in round 1 2007:
Matthew Lloyd
David Hille
Scott Lucas
Jason Johnson
Mark Johnson
Dustin Fletcher
Adam McPhee
Brent Stanton
Jobe Watson
Nathan Lovett-Murray
Mark McVeigh
Andrew Welsh
Angus Monfries
Probably there:
Kepler Bradley
Chris Heffernan
Scott Camporeale
Damien Peverill
Paddy Ryder
Andrew Lovett
Little or no chance:
Dean Solomon
Jason Winderlich
Henry Slattery
To see how much things will have changed in a year here are the players who lined up in round 1 2006, and the possibility of them playing in round 1 2007.
Sydney Swans
There in round 1 2007:
Barry Hall
Adam Goodes
Leo Barry
Jude Bolton
Craig Bolton
Darren Jolly
Brett Kirk
Nic Fosdike
Michael O'Loughlin
Jarrad McVeigh
Ryan O'Keefe
Lewis Roberts-Thomson
Luke Ablett
Ted Richards
Nick Davis
Amon Buchanan
Probably there:
Adam Schneider
Ben Mathews
Sean Dempster
Jared Crouch
Little or no chance:
Paul Williams
Paul Chambers
West Coast Eagles
There in round 1 2007:
Dean Cox
Chris Judd
Quinten Lynch
Daniel Kerr
Darren Glass
Ben Cousins
Ashley Hansen
Andrew Embley
David Wirrpanda
Adam Hunter
Rowan Jones
Adam Selwood
Daniel Chick
Michael Braun
Tyson Stenglein
Beau Waters
Probably there:
Chad Fletcher
Jaymie Graham
Mark Seaby
Mark Nicoski
Little or no chance:
Ashley Sampi
Brent Staker
Important Outs:
M Clarke, B Hart, H Skipworth
Important Ins:
J Sellar, N Gill, B Campbell
Injury News:
R Biglands (out for 2007), T Hentschel (out for 2007), K Tippett (all of preseason)
Fantasy Stars:
Goodwin, Edwards, McLeod, Doughty, Thompson and Johncock should all continue to accumulate stats. McLeod and Johncock are usually position eligible as backmen so that is an added bonus. McLeod is getting older so take that into consideration as he may not play as many games as he used to. Scott Thompson is also a good goalkicker so that provides him with a few more fantasy stats too.
The Crows might be looking for another big possession winner in the midfield, so Shirley, Van Berlo or Reilly might be a good fantasy signing.
In the backline, Bassett is a good player for AFL fantasy. He benefits as the Crows use him to setup from the backline, for fantasy he gets plenty of kicks and as the ball is often passed to him he can also get plenty of marks. Mattner can also provide good numbers.
Ricciuto was a fantasy star for over a decade but as his time in the midfield is being cut back his stats are also going down. Ricciuto's fantasy worth will be determined by the goals he kicks, and that will also depend on how many games he plays. Burton is able to combine midfield possessions along with goals and marks in the forward line, he will be a more expensive fantasy option but should continue to put up big numbers. Perrie and Welsh could be underrated for their fantasy price, and if they are they will be good value as the ball will be directed to them a lot more with Hentschel out. Usually Welsh has better numbers than Perrie. Bode will continue to provide goals and a useful number of disposals.
Possible Fantasy Stars:
Maybe Porplyzia gets a bigger role next season. So if his price isn't too high then putting him on your bench might be a good move.
Ken McGregor could have a much better season in 2007. The potential is there for him to double his goals from last season.
Bock could also have a more prominent role, when it comes to statistics.
Possible Fantasy Sleeper:
Ben Hudson. Ruckmen don't give fantasy teams many stats but you do need to sign a few of them. Hudson should be inexpensive, as he didn't play AFL last season, and when you combine the price with all the playing time that is now available for him, he should be a useful fantasy player.
First Year Players For AFL Fantasy:
Campbell and Gill are older players who are ready to play in 2007. As both will be low-cost to add to your fantasy team then putting them on your bench to start the year might pay dividends later when they play.
Nathan Eagleton: The Goal Antenna
He does know where the goals are located. Didn't know he had a unique ability to locate them.
Brett Ebert:
Doesn't work in anagrams. But for Wheel of Fortune, for consonants select B, R and T and then E for your vowel.
Jake Edwards: Drew Ask Jade
Nothing to do with Edwards, but Petrie can ask Rawlings how not to play.
Tyson Edwards: Stern Odd Ways
There was that thing with another Crows player, so maybe Edwards does have some odd ways of doing things.
Christopher Egan: Sport Heir Change
Things will change when Buckley retires, Egan could be his heir.
Matthew Egan: Want the Game
It's about time someone at Geelong had that attitude.
Xavier Ellis: Air Level Six
Burton can be found at Air Level Eight, so Level Six is very good.
Andrew Embley: Red Enemy Bawl
His opponents in red did cry.
Corey Enright: The Cry Region
Geelong, Grand Finals, it all makes sense.
Peter Everitt: Petite Revert
He can't revert to playing small, the Swans need his size and not his small-man skills.
To see how much things will have changed in a year here are the players who lined up in round 1 2006, and the possibility of them playing in round 1 2007.
Brisbane Lions:
There in round 1 2007:
Jonathan Brown
Daniel Bradshaw
Luke Power
Simon Black
Tim Notting
Michael Rischitelli
Jamie Charman
Justin Sherman
Josh Drummond
Probably there:
Daniel Merrett
Jared Brennan
Mitchell Clark
Chris Johnson
Ashley McGrath
Ben Fixter
Little or no chance:
Jason Akermanis
Michael Voss
Brad Scott
Anthony Corrie
Justin Leppitsch
Mal Michael
Scott Harding
Hawthorn Hawks:
There in round 1 2007:
Luke Hodge
Sam Mitchell
Trent Croad
Robert Campbell
Shane Crawford
Chance Bateman
Grant Birchall
Jarryd Roughead
Richard Vandenberg
Jordan Lewis
Tim Clarke
Rick Ladson
Brad Sewell
Ben Dixon
Mark Williams
Probably there:
Brent Guerra
Danny Jacobs
Joel Smith
Clinton Young
Little or no chance:
Peter Everitt
Zac Dawson
Michael Osborne
AFL fans might have gotten everything they wanted for Christmas, but if they wanted a Ronnie Burns Bobble Dobble figure and there wasn't one under the tree then here it is.
AFL Bobble Dobble Ronnie Burns Bobblehead
So in between Ablett and Ablett, the Geelong Cats had a void and needed a player to market. Ronnie Burns was exciting and kicked goals, but not long after this product was sold in the stores he was on his way to Adelaide.
There is also a Jonathan Hay bobble dobble on ebay, a bit cheaper than the Burns one, while Essendon fans will have to find a lot more money to purchase the Lloyd one that is also for sale on the ebay site.
To see how much things will have changed in a year here are the players who lined up in round 1 2006, and the possibility of them playing in round 1 2007.
Fremantle Dockers:
There in round 1 2007:
Matthew Pavlich
Peter Bell
Luke McPharlin
Aaron Sandilands
Jeff Farmer
Josh Carr
Matthew Carr
Heath Black
David Mundy
Shane Parker
Michael Johnson
Ryan Crowley
Byron Schammer
Paul Hasleby
Shaun McManus
Probably there:
Justin Longmuir
Ryan Murphy
Des Headland
Steven Dodd
Little or no chance:
Daniel Gilmore
James Walker
Paul Medhurst
Port Adelaide Power:
There in round 1 2007:
Brendon Lade
Dean Brogan
Chad Cornes
Kane Cornes
Peter Burgoyne
Shaun Burgoyne
Steven Salopek
Brett Ebert
Darryl Wakelin
Josh Mahoney
Michael Wilson
Danyle Pearce
Troy Chaplin
Damon White
Probably there:
Domenic Cassisi
Michael Pettigrew
Adam Thomson
Little or no chance:
Matthew Bishop
Gavin Wanganeen
Peter Walsh
Daniel Motlop
Stuart Dew
The early years for the Power and Dockers were a bit of a struggle, especially for Fremantle, but both teams have had recent success. The Power won it all in 2004 and the Dockers had their best year ever in 2006, and will be even better in 2007. But here are the teams that ran out for the two clubs for their first ever AFL games. What would happen if those two teams could play, who would win and would Scott Cummings kick a lot of goals?
The difference between the two teams might have been Cummings. The Dockers never had a good full forward in their early years but the Power had someone who could put a score on the board. O'Reilly wasn't a big factor for the Dockers after they brought him over from Geelong but he would have been a good player to try on Cummings, probably the Dockers only option.
Lade was always a solid player, even in his first year of AFL, and if he was also in the forward line along with the many skilful smalls the Power had then the Dockers might be in for a bad game. But the Dockers did have a lot of run from their backline so they would have that advantage.
The Dockers couldn't score many goals, while the Power had a very solid backline. Paxman would have been able to defeat his opponent and Mead and Heuskes would have been very competitive against the other talls that the Dockers had up forward. There was always a lot of pressure on Mann and he never had any help in the forward line.
The only way the Dockers would win was if they got most of the ball in the middle. They had the big Burton, but his height would have been no match for the tag-team of Primus and Lade. Allan and Watters were at the end of their careers, and while Bell would become one of the most famous and successful players from Fremantle's inaugural team at the time the Dockers were not impressed. The best the Dockers could do in the middle was a draw, if they were lucky.
With dominance at both ends the Power would have won this fictitious matchup easily. Even when the Power did play Fremantle for the first time in the AFL, and the Dockers had the advantage of being in the league a couple more years than them, the Power defeated the Dockers. That was a Fremantle team in 1997 that also included Parker, Hunter, Bandy, Black and Callaghan but they lost to the Power by 15 points.
Of interest are the players still running around who were a part of the Dockers' or the Power's inaugural teams. Bell went to the Kangaroos and eventually back to Fremantle. Lade, P Burgoyne and Wilson are still there for the Power.
Fre FF Winston Abraham, Chris Groom, Gary Dhurrkay
Pow FB Donald Dickie, Stephen Paxman, Adam Kingsley
Fre HF Craig Burrows, Peter Mann, Quenton Leach
Pow HB Adam Heuskes, Darren Mead, Michael Wilson
Fre C Tony Delaney, Ben Allan, Jason Norrish
Pow C Peter Burgoyne, Brayden Lyle, Stephen Carter
Fre HB Dale Kickett, Todd Ridley, David Muir
Pow HF Shayne Breuer, Brendon Lade, Fabian Francis
Fre FB Scott Chisholm, Stephen O’Reilly, Jamie Merrillo
Pow FF Brent Heaver, Scott Cummings, Shane Bond
Fre Foll Matthew Burton, Peter Bell, Scott Watters
Pow Foll Matthew Primus, Josh Francou, David Brown
Fre bench Brendan Krummel, Phil Gilbert, Scott Edwards
Pow bench Ian Downsborough, Damian Squire, Darryl Poole
Nick Dal Santo: Saint Do Clank
He is more skilful than that suggests.
Luke Darcy: Duly Creak
You can bet that he has plenty of creaks in his body.
Aaron Davey: Adore A Navy
Could that mean a trade to the navy blue team, very unlikely.
Leon Davis: Oval Is End
He does play at the end of the oval, or maybe his time on the oval for Collingwood is about to end.
Nick Davis: Sick Divan
Davis didn't feel good when he sat-out games last season.
Zac Dawson:
No anagrams or AFL games for Zac.
Brett Deledio: Tried To Bleed
Against Geelong he tried to bleed, but like Jesse Ventura he doesn't have time to do that.
Fabian Deluca: A Feudal Cabin
At least he gets an anagram, his brother doesn't.
Courtenay Dempsey: May Counter Speedy
The Bombers can use him to counter speedy players.
Sean Dempster: Mean Red Steps
He does wear red, but needs to get meaner.
Alan Didak:
Will miss some early games in 2007, due to injury. Misses out on an anagram here.
Ben Dixon: In End Box
Could be played from the goalsquare.
Steven Dodd: Odds Vented
Dockers would be a good value bet, even at smaller odds.
Michael Doughty: Yield Macho Thug
If AFL was played 500 years ago you might have heard that on the field.
Richard Douglas: Salad Rich Gourd
You don't make friends with salad.
Beau Dowler: We Laboured
His team did do that in 2006 before playing better in the last month of the season.
Stephen Doyle: The Only Speed
His only speed is slow, but for his position it doesn't matter.
Paul Duffield: Dead If Full Up
If the Dockers have a full list to choose from then his chances of getting a game are dead.
Lynden Dunn:
No anagrams there, plenty of the letter N.
Rick Dyson: Corny Kids
A new version of the Baby Bombers
One of the recent trivia questions was about the boxing career of Mark “Jacko” Jackson. On the youtube site is a video of the Jackson-Meninga bout.
Mal Meninga vs AFL's Jacko
To see how much things will have changed in a year here are the players who lined up in round 1 2006, and the possibility of them playing in round 1 2007.
Kangaroos:
There in round 1 2007:
Glenn Archer
Drew Petrie
Adam Simpson
Nathan Thompson
Shannon Grant
David Hale
Jess Sinclair
Daniel Wells
Corey Jones
Brent Harvey
Brady Rawlings
Daniel Harris
Daniel Pratt
Hamish McIntosh
Probably there:
Michael Firrito
Kasey Green
Joshua Gibson
Leigh Brown
Shannon Watt
Little or no chance:
Cameron Thurley
Jonathan Hay
Leigh Harding
Collingwood Magpies:
There in round 1 2007:
Josh Fraser
Anthony Rocca
Nathan Buckley
James Clement
Dale Thomas
Simon Prestigiacomo
Dane Swan
Paul Licuria
Ben Johnson
Shane O'Bree
Tarkyn Lockyer
Ryan Lonie
Probably there:
Nick Maxwell
Shane Wakelin
Guy Richards
Leon Davis
Chris Egan
Travis Cloke
Little or no chance:
Chris Tarrant
Jason Cloke
Brodie Holland
Alan Didak
It is a day for boxing, sort of, so the questions are about Mark “Jacko” Jackson. Name the VFL player that Jacko defeated in a boxing match. You can also name the rugby player that defeated Jacko in boxing.
To see how much things will have changed in a year here are the players who lined up in round 1 2006, and the possibility of them playing in round 1 2007. The two teams listed here will play in round 1 2007.
Melbourne Demons:
There in round 1 2007:
Cameron Bruce
Jeff White
David Neitz
Clint Bartram
Aaron Davey
Nathan Carroll
Adem Yze
Brad Green
Byron Pickett
Travis Johnstone
James McDonald
Russell Robertson
Daniel Ward
Matthew Whelan
Probably there:
Brent Moloney
Brad Miller
Mark Jamar
Colin Sylvia
Little or no chance:
Nathan Brown
Paul Johnson
Ryan Ferguson
Shannon Motlop
St Kilda Saints
There in round 1 2007:
Nick Riewoldt
Fraser Gehrig
Lenny Hayes
Robert Harvey
Luke Ball
Nick Dal Santo
Max Hudghton
Brendon Goddard
Samuel Fisher
Aaron Hamill
Brett Voss
Jason Gram
Probably there:
Steven Baker
Andrew Thompson
Stephen Milne
Little or no chance:
Fergus Watts
Matthew Maguire
Jason Blake
Cain Ackland
Allan Murray
Justin Peckett
Stephen Powell
Adelaide:
When the Crows joined the AFL they got all the players in South Australia that they wanted.
Brisbane
Jonathan Brown, a huge gift.
Carlton
The Eagles were once rewarded with a "home final" at the MCG against Carlton, the Blues won that game and made it to the Grand Final.
Collingwood
Rocca didn't want to be in Sydney, Collingwood happily traded for him.
Essendon
The Bombers knew the talent that could be found with a compensation pick if the Dockers took one of their players, they made sure that happened and the Bombers were then able to land Lloyd.
Fremantle
Collingwood and Richmond sent the gift of Pavlich to the Dockers in the 1999 draft.
Geelong
The father/son rule keeps on giving, the Abletts and Scarlett among many selections for the Cats. Hawkins is their latest gift.
Hawthorn
The Hawks were lucky to get a forward from Queensland, Jason Dunstall.
Kangaroos
Longmire and Carey could have played their careers for the Swans, the Kangaroos received a couple of premiership cups after snaring those players.
Melbourne
The coaching spot there hasn't been very good but Daniher brought stability and a Grand Final appearance.
Port Adelaide
Sometimes it isn't easy to get a star player to leave their club, but the Power managed to get Wanganeen away from Essendon.
Richmond
Without the gift of the father/son rule the Tigers would be without several star players.
St Kilda
When the Saints hit the bottom in 2000 they got everything they needed to get to the top as they were gifted Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Gehrig and Hamill.
Sydney
The AFL sent plenty of gifts to the Swans over the years, and they turned the extra draft picks and salary-cap help into a winning team.
West Coast
Dean Cox in the rookie draft, and Cousins as a father/son rule draft pick, great gifts for the Eagles.
Western Bulldogs
Akermanis presented the Bulldogs with a great gift when he said he only wanted to play for them.
Cameron Cloke: No More Cackle
Collingwood fans can't laugh at him anymore.
Travis Cloke: Vocal Strike
Maybe he does talk the talk, maybe he doesn't.
Richard Cole: Colder Chair
That would describe the interchange bench, or a seat in the stands.
Troy Cook: Too Rocky
He is tough like the Sylvester Stallone character.
Adam Cooney: May Do Canoe
After football maybe a water sport would suit him.
Robert Copeland: Red October Plan
Starring Sean Connery.
Joel Corey:
Corey needs some more help for Geelong to win, and needs some more letters if he wants an anagram.
Chad Cornes: Second Arch
Like Archer, he plays very big in the backline.
Kane Cornes: Keen As Corn
He is very keen on his football.
Mark Coughlan: Go Launch Mark
His advice for Richardson, just go and launch yourself for the mark.
Ben Cousins: Bounciness
Probably a good thing.
Dean Cox: Dance Ox
Is more agile than David Schwarz was.
Shane Crawford: Wander For Cash
He does a lot of things for the money, maybe not wandering, but he does cover a lot of ground on the football field.
Trent Croad: Rotten Card
The Dockers didn't like the card they were dealt after trading for Croad, so they sent him back.
Daniel Cross: Soldiers Can
Cross will battle inside for the ball.
Jared Crouch: Crouched Jar
Not the most exciting anagram here.
Ryan Crowley: Only We Carry
In the past the Dockers would be the only team who wanted to carry the ball instead of kicking.
Tim Callan: Ill Cat Man
He was ill according to the anagram, so there is a reason for his performance last season.
Robert Campbell: Mr T Replace Blob
Wonder who the blob is, maybe Everitt who has been replaced.
Scott Camporeale: A Complete Castro
Could mean he is a communist or smokes cigars or is at the end of his career.
Josh and Matthew Carr: Drawn Major Hatchets
If you draw them as opponents you are in danger.
Andrew Carrazzo: A Czar Drawn Zero
Carlton have a Cuban dictator and a Czar as well.
Nathan Carroll: Anchor Ran Tall
He is tall, anchors the backline, and can run too.
Domenic Cassisi: A Miss Coincides
Does it describe his kicking at goal, possibly.
Troy Chaplin: Not Rich Play
Maybe not rich play but good, solid football from him.
Paul Chapman: A Papal Munch
Geelong did have "The Pontiff", so that must be a meal with Ablett Sr.
Jamie Charman: Main Reach Jam
He is their main ruckman, with a big reach. They do have a bit of a ruckman jam now with Wood and Leuenberger there too.
Daniel Chick: Dial Chicken
Maybe describing his opponents.
Mitchell Clark: Mr Chill Tackle
Must be the opposite of former Brisbane player Matthew Clarke.
Matthew Clarke: The Warm Tackle
It is confirmed, he is the opposite of Mitchell Clark and is also at the opposite end of his football career.
Raphael Clarke: Hale Clear Park
Raphael wouldn't want to run into David Hale.
Xavier Clarke: Lack River Axe
He won't be chopping down anyone on the field.
James Clement: Men Select Jam
The question would be, what do they put on their toast?
Essendon To Play In Darwin Next February
The Bombers will be playing in Darwin against the Indigenous All-Stars on February 9 2007. Could be an exciting game as the Bombers could have second overall pick Scott Gumbleton playing and maybe Mal Michael as well.
SANFL Draft for Crows and Power Players
West Adelaide: Kurt Tippett
Sturt: Alex Lee
Norwood: David Rodan
Glenelg: Travis Boak
Port Adelaide Magpies: Nathan Krakouer
South Adelaide: David McKay
North Adelaide: Gavin Grose
Central District: Ryan Williams
Eagles: Nathan Batsanis
West Adelaide: Robert Gray
Sturt: Peter Hardy
The SANFL teams recently had a draft to allocate the new players for the Crows and Power. Players who were not already part of the SANFL now have teams to play for if they are not playing AFL. West Adelaide took Kurt Tippett and he should be a big problem for the other SANFL teams. While Tippett is injured now, he should be able to play most of the games in 2007. Glenelg lose Gibbs in the AFL draft, but Boak will be a handy player for them if he isn’t playing for the Power. Nathan Krakouer should be a favourite of the Port Adelaide Magpies fans.
2007 AFL Grand Final On 10
Channel 10 won the right to broadcast the 2007 AFL Grand Final, . They will then alternate with Channel 7 during the other years of the TV deal to show it.
Chris Judd Is James Bond
This is a poll on the official AFL site. Which AFL player could be James Bond?
Chris Judd: 27%
Trent Croad: 19%
Aaron Hamill: 18%
James Clement: 17%
Luke Darcy: 10%
Brad Miller: 9%
He is a bit tall, but Brad Moran might have been the best choice. Although, like Luke Darcy, he would have trouble fitting into the Aston Martin cars.
The AFL used to have plenty of Bonds, with Shane and Troy both winning a premiership. Chris Bond is another one and there was Graeme Bond for Richmond too.
All the players listed below were in the top 50 for total kicks in 2006. If your AFL fantasy team was mostly made up of players from this list then it would have been a very competitive team.
But players get older, their roles change, teammates return from injury and many other things can change a players' fantasy statistics. This is a look at how their stats could change in 2007.
Even Better In 2007:
Lindsay Gilbee. Western Bulldogs: A big part of their game is to look for Gilbee, this is great for his stats.
Brent Stanton. Essendon: Keeps improving and will be great for fantasy teams in 2007.
Luke Hodge. Hawthorn: hawks added help at both ends so Hodge should be played in the middle all the time.
Chris Judd. West Coast: Could be even better now that some of his small injuries have been fixed.
Cameron Bruce. Melbourne: Could be played more in the action.
Brendon Goddard. St Kilda: Big AFL Fantasy season in 2006 and he should be as good or better in 2007.
Kade Simpson. Carlton: Part of Carlton's young midfield who will have a bigger role.
Paul Chapman. Geelong: More time in the middle should equal more statistics in 2007.
Kayne Pettifer. Richmond: Could improve on his big kicks numbers from last season.
Same In 2007:
Luke Power. Brisbane: Can't improve on his kicks total from last season, but should get close to it in 2007.
Joel Bowden. Richmond: Won't be easy to get as many kicks next season, should still get them.
Nick Riewoldt. St Kilda: New coach, same role and plenty of stats.
Jude Bolton. Sydney: Will continue to be a great player for fantasy statistics.
Ben Johnson. Collingwood: Plenty of kicks, but unlikely to improve on his totals or accuracy.
Simon Goodwin. Adelaide: No reason why he won't continue with huge kicks totals.
Adam Goodes. Sydney: A star in AFL Fantasy.
Kane Cornes. Port Adelaide: Will continue to get plenty of the ball.
Lance Whitnall. Carlton: Still needed in the backline there, and that's where the ball is.
Samuel Fisher. St Kilda: His game provides plenty of fantasy statistics.
Travis Johnstone. Melbourne: No reason for his numbers to change for 2007.
Chad Cornes. Port Adelaide: His game is great for fantasy stats, especially for a key position player.
Sam Mitchell. Hawthorn: Plenty of fantasy stats with his kicks added to his handballs.
Graham Johncock. Adelaide: His role rebounding from the back gets plenty of fantasy stats.
Corey Enright. Geelong: Underrated fantasy player who always gets possessions.
Nick Dal Santo. St Kilda: Hayes will be back, so for AFL fantasy Dal Santo won't improve in 2007.
Ryan O'Keefe. Sydney: Sydney's forward structure didn't change much so his role should be the same.
Heath Shaw. Collingwood: A chance to improve on last season if moved into the middle, but even played back he is still good.
Dane Swan. Collingwood: Will be a big fantasy player next season.
Joel Corey. Geelong: Will keep getting the ball.
Jess Sinclair. Kangaroos: Kangaroos will give him plenty of time in the middle.
David Wirrpanda. West Coast: Will keep up his role of patrolling the backline and accumulating kicks.
Possibly Less Stats In 2007:
Alan Didak. Collingwood: Injury will take some games, but a player to sign late in the season.
James McDonald. Melbourne: Unexpected big season in 2006, may not replicate it as teams focus on him more.
Nathan Buckley. Collingwood: A possible move deep into the forward line could limit his statistics.
Robert Harvey. St Kilda: He has to slow down soon.
Heath Scotland. Carlton: Someone has to lose stats to Murphy, Gibbs, Simpson and other younger players.
Ryan Houlihan. Carlton: Could struggle to keep his place in the side if Carlton play their youth.
Scott Lucas. Essendon: Dominated in 2006, but that was with Lloyd and Hird missing a lot of games.
Nick Stevens. Carlton: Not part of the future and Gibbs, Murphy, Blackwell and others could take stats off him.
Adem Yze. Melbourne: Demons will get more from McLean, Maloney, Bate, Jones and possibly less from Yze.
Brad Johnson. Western Bulldogs: Addition of Akermanis, and the improvement of Bulldogs youngsters, will take away some stats.
Patrick Bowden. Richmond: Maybe not a one-year wonder, but teams will pay more attention to him now which could limit his stats.
Brent Harvey. Kangaroos: Older player who may see less time in the middle.
Jason Gram. St Kilda: Not all the Saints will continue to get big stats, maybe Gram is one of them.
Brad Green. Melbourne: Could see a slight decline in his stats.
Heath Black. Fremantle: Won't see a big decrease, but the Dockers do have more midfield options now.
James Clement. Collingwood: Getting older, so a stats decline is expected.
Jimmy Bartel. Geelong: Chapman in the middle, and the addition of Selwood, Bartel could lose stats due to this.
Tyson Edwards. Adelaide: If played more as a small forward his fantasy stats could decline.
Peter Bell. Fremantle: Hasleby back, and Mundy or Johnson could be in the middle too, Bell could see more time forward.
Western Bulldogs' Christmas List
Healthy bigs, Akermanis to star on and off the field, and maybe an instant impact from Everitt.
The Bulldogs know that this is their year, they have never had a better chance in the past 30 years to win. The cup is their big wish, but several things will need to go right for that to happen.
If you were big and played for the Bulldogs then you were hurt in 2006, except for big Street. Grant and Darcy are the big concerns, but Grant should have one more year left in him and Darcy's luck has to change soon. Will Minson is another big that the Bulldogs need and he should be bigger and better in 2007 and will combine with Street to give the Bulldogs a competitive ruck option.
It was Akermanis who said he wanted to play for the Bulldogs, his wish was granted and now he has to produce. There is no reason why he shouldn't help them on and off the field. His September experience and ability to change a game in just a few minutes are just what the Bulldogs need. Off the field he will bring in fans and money, and his presence will take the pressure off other players next season.
While the Bulldogs' fans were wishing for key position help in the draft they didn't really expect Andrejs Everitt to be the answer. He may not be the big, solid key defender that they would have liked but he is a player who fits their team. Everitt is very quick for his size, and if Eade thinks he is strong enough to play some games next season then he might be the final piece they need.
The Bulldogs had a list for trade week which included a veteran star as well as a key position player, Akermanis and McDougall were the result. In 2007 their fans will be wishing for a Grand Final, and with some luck with injuries and an impact from their new additions they might get there.
If you can think of it then there is probably a licensed AFL product of it. A Yo-Yo in AFL team colours, a good idea.
AFL Collectable Team YO-YO Geelong
It even comes with “bonus string”. This Yo-Yo is for Geelong, a team that has a lot of up-and-down seasons. If you search ebay you can also find a Yo-Yo for the Power, Blues, Bombers, Hawks and Saints.
The Herald-Sun newspaper has a list of the Top 50 Sports Stars 2006, written by Jon Anderson. Some skier is at number 49, Italy's goalkeeper is at number 35 and just behind Thierry Henry and LeBron James is Chris Judd at number 43.
A list ranking all the sports people of the world is one of those things that doesn't have any real right or wrong answers. Although when they write that LaDainian Tomlinson is a "wide receiver" for the NFL's San Diego Chargers they are very wrong. He is obviously a running back.
Chris Judd may be the only AFL player on the list, as only the 50 to 31 spots have been revealed it will be a few days until all the list is published. Maybe Goodes gets a mention, maybe someone else. There will be eleven Australians on the list. It looks like the top spot will be between a tennis player and a golfer, the tennis player probably is the pick, Roger Federer.
West Coast's Christmas List:
A bigger trophy cabinet, and maybe a bigger stadium too.
The Eagles don't need anything but that won't stop their fans wanting more. The drafts brought in quality players for the Eagles and with nearly all of their premiership players returning the 2007 Eagles side could be even better than the 2006 team.
The Eagles will need extra space for all the trophies they are likely to win in the next few years. But there is a bigger requirement to look at in terms of space, room for their crowds.
The Eagles need a bigger venue and this should be up the top of their Christmas list. A new stadium, with twice the capacity of Subiaco would be ideal.
Another thing Eagles fans will be hoping for is that Ashley Hansen plays every game. Forget about Judd, Cox and the other Eagles, the statistics say that if Hansen plays then the Eagles win.
The Eagles are the only team who celebrate not only Christmas but also the AFL Premiership this year. They already have received their gifts for next year with Mitchell Brown and Eric Mackenzie being drafted. Some questions the Eagles have are how to fit so many good players into the 22 spots, how to fit their crowd into their current stadium and where they are going to put all their trophies. Every other club wishes they had those problems.
The Saints have given their new coach what he wanted, help in the ruck. Now with the addition of Gardiner and Clarke there are plenty of similarities between the Saints of 2007 and the successful Swans side of 2005.
Barry Hall: Fraser Gehrig
The big, angry, intimidating full forward goal-scoring machine.
Nick Davis: Xavier Clarke
The skilful forward.
Ben Mathews: Jason Gram
The dependable backman.
Ryan O’Keefe: Aaron Hamill
The third forward.
Craig Bolton: Sam Fisher
The versatile defender.
Paul Williams: Robert Harvey
The veteran onballer.
Nic Fosdike: Brett Voss
The tough little guy.
Adam Schneider: Aaron Fiora
The skilled, but inconsistent, forward/midfielder.
Darren Jolly: Matthew Clarke
Big tap ruckman.
Tadhg Kennelly: Brendon Goddard
Offense from the defensive end.
Michael O’Loughlin: Nick Riewoldt
The key player around half forward.
Luke Ablett: Andrew Thompson
Team-oriented, hard-working midfielder.
Leo Barry: Max Hudghton
The full back.
Jude Bolton: Nick Dal Santo
Important midfielder.
Sean Dempster: Leigh Fisher
Useful defensive depth.
Jason Ball: Michael Gardiner
Former Eagle ruckman/big forward.
Jared Crouch: Luke Ball
Hard at the ball midfielder.
Lewis Roberts-Thomson: Matt Maguire
Defender who has to overachieve for his team to win the big games.
Brett Kirk: Lenny Hayes
Most important onballer.
Amon Buchanan: David Armitage
Young player who can contribute.
Adam Goodes: Justin Koschitzke
Can play anywhere, in the ruck or up forward or down back, but needs to avoid injuries.
Paul Bevan: Steven Baker
The little guy that people forget is there.
Sydney's Christmas List:
A good Spida, some youngsters stepping into the senior side and more games against the Eagles in September.
Sydney fans have had a good run over the last decade so they don't need to expect many more gifts. But they get a big, experienced ruckman to add to their team as well as some exciting young players.
Peter Everitt only cost the Swans a late second rounder, and if he is back to his best in 2007 then another Grand Final will be the Swans destination. Both Lockett and Hall were former Saints who improved due to moving to the Swans. Everitt did have a brief stop in Hawthorn, but he exhibits plenty of traits that Hall and Lockett had. Swans fans will be hoping that Everitt will do what is needed, and he probably will especially if Hall tells him to.
The Swans will want a deeper list and with more players able to contribute they will have a fresher team for September. The Swans will be hoping that some of their youngsters step up to assist a list that is getting older now. Daniel O'Keefe should be their main hope, he was their first round pick and has the skills the Swans like. Simon Phillips is a little guy with potential while Luke Vogels is still trying to get a game but there isn't a spot unless Hall is out.
Everything is in place for the Swans to make another run, and they might like to meet with the Eagles again, just to see who the better team is. With one win apiece, if they meet again in late September then the winner of that game will have the bragging rights and possibly another cup.
Craig Bolton: To Clog Brain
They do flood their backline, clog it up. Opposition coaches do need to use their brain to beat that tactic.
Jude Bolton: No Judo Belt
He doesn't need a piece of cloth tied around him to say he's tough. But Bolton and the Swans were taught tackling by a Judo instructor.
Mark Bolton: Mr Bank Loot
He is collecting his pay.
Joel Bowden: One Weld Job
Sort of a small fix, and Richmond have sent Bowden down back to fix their backline and other times he went forward to help them kick goals.
Patrick Bowden: Wonder Back Tip
Tigers got the tip that he could be a wonder in the backline.
Paul Bower: A Lower Pub
Maybe this "pub" is short for publicity, and Bower definitely has much lower publicity than many others there.
Matthew Boyd: Mowed By That
Maybe he kicks a few grass cutters.
Kepler Bradley: Dark Rebel Yelp
Sounds like a Billy Idol song.
Daniel Bradshaw: Radial Web Hands
With hands like that no wonder he can mark the ball so well.
Michael Braun: A Rich Blue Man
Not just blue, but yellow too.
Jared Brennan: Jar Banner End
Like Brennan out there on the park, this anagram has no idea either.
Dean Brogan: Bean Dragon
That might describe Brogan.
Barry Brooks: Rob Roy Barks
Maybe the sequel to that Liam Neeson movie.
Campbell Brown:
He refuses to have an anagram of his name, nobody will argue with that.
Jonathan Brown: Want Banjo Horn
Not sure if Brown is musical, but the anagram of his name is.
Leigh Brown: Bring Whole
He does need to bring his whole game or he'll be playing VFL.
Nathan D Brown: Hadn't Won Barn
Hadn't won anything.
Nathan G Brown: Hang Not Brawn
This is the Richmond one, he better hang back from the physical clashes as he doesn't have the brawn.
Cameron Bruce: Ace Crumber On
He can crumb, but can also mark too.
Chris Bryan: Sir Branchy
Sounds like he has long limbs, which he does.
Amon Buchanan: No Banana Chum
Bananas were expensive there for a while.
Nathan Buckley: Taken By Launch
He can still launch himself to take a mark, maybe some hands on the shoulders though.
Peter Burgoyne: Energy Per Bout
Brings plenty of energy.
Shaun Burgoyne: Busy Ran Enough
Does run a lot.
Scott Burns: Burnt Costs
The Magpies are burnt and it does cost them if he doesn't play.
Brett Burton: Better Burnt
He is often "on fire" when he plays.
Sam Butler: Smart Blue
Smart but in blue and yellow.
Shannon Byrnes: Barn Hens Sonny
Well he does play for Geelong, out in farm country with hens and maybe barns.
If Chuck Norris played AFL he would be the best player ever, and with his kicking ability he would win the Coleman every season.
But the trivia question for today is to give the name of the team, or teams, that "C Norris" did actually play for in the AFL/VFL.
St Kilda's Christmas List:
Everyone buying into the new system, a healthy Koschitzke and Hamill and Maguire.
Moorabbin hasn't been the best spot for team unity over the last few decades. Not too long ago they thought that a coaching legend would solve their problems, Blight, and they also tried a playing legend with no experience, Watson. Neither strategy worked, now with the demise of Coach Thomas the Saints are going for the new to AFL head coach who has plenty of experience as an assistant. But if everyone isn't behind Ross Lyon then they will again fail. Saints fans have seen enough over the years to know that if the Saints fall apart off the field then they won't win on the field.
But even if all the players, and management, are behind the new coach there is always the problem with injuries. Koschitzke is ready to go, but there are still problems with Hamill, Hayes, Maguire, Hudghton, R Clarke and Watts. Most of those players will be ready to play in the preseason games, but luck with injuries isn't something that has been prevalent there. Saints fans will be hoping that they get just one year of good luck.
The Saints had a big ruckman on their wish list and that has already been delivered, twice. Now Saints fans will have to be hoping that Clarke isn't too old and that Gardiner isn't too much like the West Coast version of himself. Another requirement was additional pace, the draft brought in Armitage and Howard to help there.
In 2007, as soon as one key player for the Saints says that they miss Grant Thomas it could be the start of the end for Lyon. Saints fans will be hoping that everyone forgets the past and focuses on the future, and as their last win was in 1966 there really isn't a reason to be looking back. The Saints have some of the best players, a new coach who was part of a recent winner and when round 1 comes along they could have a complete, or very close to complete, list to choose from. So maybe Saints fans should also be writing on their Christmas list the items they will need for the last day in September next year.
If you have a spare $1,500 then you can sponsor one of the Saints players. But it isn't just players who will be playing in the VFL that are still available. Jason Gram, who finished second in their best and fairest, apparently hasn't been sponsored yet. New boys Birss and Clarke would also be value for money. But according to the official Saints AFL site, you will have to misspell his name as "Clark".
To get the biggest player for your money you could sponsor Brooks or Rix. For a player who should be playing plenty of games next season then Fisher and Thompson are the way to go. It isn't a surprise that Fiora is on this list, but with a new coach and a fresh start 2007 could be his year.
Some of the available players, from the Saints site:
Shane Birss
Barry Brooks
Matthew Clark
Aaron Fiora
Leigh Fisher
Jason Gram
Brad Howard
Andrew McQualter
Stephen Milne
Michael Rix
Justin Sweeney
Andrew Thompson
You can read more on the Saints official site. Other AFL teams also have many players to sponsor, so contact them if you are interested.
Some of the AFL teams that needed to have an away jumper for next season have shown their fans the new look. These are reportedly popular with some fans who want something different to wear.
While there are many fans who are not happy with changing their team’s colours, it could be worse. ESPN were showing a European rugby game and there was something that caught the eye, the away team was dressed in pink. Stade Francais Paris actually won, possibly because their pink and purpley-blue uniform bewildered and distracted their opponents.
For those who saw a few seconds of the game the uniform could be burned in their memory, but others may want to visit the Stade Francais Paris site to see for themselves.
So if Richmond fans or Carlton supporters think their away jumper is a bad idea, at least they are not watching their team run around in the colours of a French rugby team.
Max Bailey: I May Be Lax
It says he may be, but he probably isn't.
Steven Baker: Keen Bravest
Maybe not the bravest for the Saints, but he is up there.
Luke Ball: A Bull Elk
Sounds like a strong animal which is what you need in the midfield.
Jordon Bannister: Rodents Join Barn
Maybe this is what is happening at Carlton.
Leo Barry: Or Barely
In 2005 Sydney just managed to beat the Eagles, or barely got there thanks to Barry.
James Bartel: Last Beer Jam
Maybe things will improve in Geelong if they do have a last one.
Clint Bartram: Mr Baltic Rant
Probably not the best anagram, but sounds like a good name for a racehorse.
Nathan Bassett: Hasn't Beat Ants
He never played against Tony Antrobus.
Matthew Bate: What Team Bet
There have been some players at his team who like to bet on things.
Chance Bateman: A Mate Can Bench
Maybe his mate could bench him in previous years, but he was great in 2006 and that should continue.
Colm Begley: Go Be My Cell
Some players last year thought that playing for Brisbane was like being in prison, they have since escaped.
Daniel Bell: Liable Lend
Another one to do with betting.
Peter Bell: Pelt Rebel
Pelt can mean animal skin or to throw things at someone, neither of those work here.
Adam Bentick: A Minted Back
Maybe going back from a midfield role to a back pocket one.
Eddie Betts: Best Edited
Don't watch his whole game, just edit the best parts to watch, always provides a bunch of highlights.
Paul Bevan: Pub Ale Van
Peter Everitt did drive a truck up to Sydney.
Rhett Biglands: Bring That Sled
They did have to bring that stretcher, so close.
Grant Birchall: Bring Tall Arch
He is a tad taller than Archer.
Shane Birss: Bash Sirens
Is now a Saint, and they had trouble with sirens.
Heath Black: Back Health
Black does need to stay healthy next season.
Simon Black: Main Blocks
The main blocks that the Lions built their winning sides on are now gone, with the exception of Black, Brown and Power.
Luke Blackwell: Well Bleak Luck
He did have bleak luck, father/son rule sent him to the wooden spoon club.
Jason Blake: Banjo Lakes
Might be the team he is playing for in 2008.
Mark Blake: Bleak Mark
While his aerial skills are better than bleak, they are not that much better.
Nathan Bock: Thank Bacon
Crows should thank Bock, but maybe he can thank bacon.
Matthew Bode: That Be Mowed
Little guy could get mowed down out there.
Richmond's Christmas List:
Long kicking to Richardson and Riewoldt.
The Tigers seem to be very busy, ranking their players for preseason training and trying to recruit ten-year olds to train at Punt Road, but these are not things that will help then win in 2007. Their full forward knows, and their fans will be hoping, that Richmond change the way they play the game. Up the top of the list for next season is a simple wish, kick it long.
Matthew Richardson is now joined in the forward line by young Riewoldt and old Kingsley. They are two more in a long line of forwards that have been used next to Richardson. It is likely that usually only one of those two will be deep in the forward line with Richardson but whoever it is they will need the ball sent in long and fast to be effective. Richardson and Riewoldt will have aerial superiority over any two defenders in the league, but if the Tigers chip the ball around then Richardson will be competing against the flood of defenders, if the ball arrives faster then either Richardson marks, Riewoldt marks, or there is a crumb for Brown or Krakouer to sprint to.
This is probably something that should never be mentioned, the round 8 2006 game against Adelaide. But the "backwards game" that Richmond played against the Crows not only would have made the crowd and the Crows crazy but for the Richmond forwards it could not have been easy. The Bowdens, Kellaway and Raines all got into double-figures for marks that day, while the Tigers forwards had little impact. All AFL fans should write to Santa asking that they never see a game like that again.
Tigers fans will have other items on their wish list. Tambling to show he was worth taking so high in the draft, as he went before Lance Franklin that year, is something they want. Tambling is expected to be played in the midfield next season and he should be a good compliment to some of their stronger onballers. The Yellow and Black will also be hoping that Gaspar has a solid year at full back and that the addition of Polak will solidify the centre half back spot. Their fans might also be hoping that Tasman Clingan becomes a good player for them, with a name like that he has cult hero written all over him.
The Richardson era is getting closer to the end, but the Riewoldt era is just about to start, for Richmond to get maximum performance from both players next season they need to have the ball kicked long to them at every chance. The Tiger management got their wish granted when Riewoldt was still there to be picked even though they moved down a few spots in the draft, now they need to grant the wish of many fans to see the ball get kicked long to the big marking forwards that Richmond have.
Here is a good AFL book to read if you want answers to all the questions that are asked about the history of the AFL. As you can see from the picture of the back cover, a lot of the stories that people tell can now be checked on.
The stories in the book are often told by the people who were there, so for example Brownless talks about what he was doing on the day when he happened upon the big wheat silo, and other witnesses and facts are used to determine if the stories are myths or if they actually did occur.
Buy it, borrow it, but just read it if you want to know if things really happened, or if people have been getting credit for something that never really did occur. Although you probably don't need to read the book to know for sure that Waverley was built not only in a rain belt, but in what could have been an Antarctic setting.
Urban Footy Legends Exposed - By Smarrini and Fine
Here is a site with the book for sale.
Gary Ablett Junior: Great Tribunal Joy
Doesn't look like he will be getting suspended.
Luke Ablett: Bullet Take
A tough player for Sydney, but maybe not that tough.
Nathan Ablett: Talent Hat Ban
Definitely a talent. They did ban umbrellas, hope they don't ban hats too.
Cain Ackland: Canal Kid Can
Doesn't make a lot of sense, doesn't matter as it's only Ackland.
Jed Adcock: Coded Jack
Everything here is a coded anagram so that works.
Dylan Addison: Any Odd Island
Maybe things get a bit odd there with Akermanis, and even an Everitt, arriving.
Jason Akermanis: Ask Major Insane
You can decide what this might mean, it does fit somewhere.
Marcus Allan: Can Arm Us All
Probably good news for Brisbane.
Glenn Archer: Rancher Glen
Will be retiring soon, so might go into farming, but probably not.
Steven Armstrong: Strong Even Smart
Armstrong seems to have it all, brawn and brains.
Plenty more names to look at for the Australian Football League, which could be rearranged to make the Air Sultana Football League anagram.
Port Adelaide's Christmas List:
Healthy Tredrea, Boak worth pick 5 and a Top 8 Finish in 2007
The Power only go as far as Tredrea takes them, the Power fans will be wishing for him to have an injury-free 2007. This will also be at the top of the coach's list too.
The Power went past Thorp, Selwood and Sellar to take Boak in the AFL National Draft. It will be a couple of years until people can decide if that was the right move but the Power fans will be hoping that the right choice was made. If Boak gets a Rising Star nomination and plays at least half the games in 2007 then Boak will have a passing grade in his first year.
With Tredrea, their two big ruckmen, their two Cornes, their two Burgoynes and a fleet of small quicks the Power can defeat any team, especially at home. At Port Adelaide success is expected every year so a finals spot in 2007 isn't just a wish but it is also a demand.
Every season the Power fans have the AFL Premiership at the top of their Christmas wish list, and if they can't get that then a couple of wins over the Crows is also something they want. Without Tredrea playing they won't have a chance at either one but Tredrea should have a big 2007, and if Boak and several other youngsters can contribute next season then finals will be reachable and as long as they are in the top 8 then anything can happen.
Fox Footy may not be on but there are still some occasional replays on Foxtel for AFL fans to watch. One game they showed was round 3 2004, Essendon versus West Coast. The Bombers won, but it has been downhill for them ever since while the Eagles obviously turned a corner to be the dominating team they are now.
Essendon fans will have been thinking that their team has changed a lot in just over two years since the game was played. Rioli and Solomon are no longer on the team, as Rioli retired and Solomon was sent to Fremantle during trade week. Henneman, Richards and Reynolds had little impact on the game that was shown, and they have all be shown the door. Richards was traded to Sydney a year ago so at least they got something for him, while the other two were delisted recently.
Another thing the Bombers would have seen is a failure by Sheedy with recycled players. The jury is still out on Camporeale, but for the former Carlton players who were there in 2004 the verdict was given long ago. Murphy played well in this game but he was too old at that time to help Essendon for more than a season or two. Matthew Allan was an even worse move by the Bombers, he had one kick in this game so that was his usual performance for Essendon that year. Both players took the spot of a young player, who if he was played then would be better than they are now.
Misiti and Mercuri were also in this game. Misiti is missed but many of the things that he did have been replaced by Watson and Stanton. Mercuri was a small forward who played tall, and could also go on the ball, the Bombers haven’t found someone to fill his role yet.
In the 2004 game Essendon won due to Lloyd, Hird and Fletcher. Their reliance on that trio has not changed since then.
Eagles fans will have enjoyed this replay of the game, not for the end result but as they could see clearly how their team has changed for the better. At that time they were trying a forward line of Phil Matera, McDougall and Sampi. Lynch would be played further out from goals, and even Glen Jakovich had an appearance in the forward area. The setup in this game was very different to big Lynch alone in the goalsquare with Hansen going on long leads from centre half forward.
While McDougall never became a big contributor for the Eagles there were plenty of things for fans of the Bulldogs to like from this game. McDougall kicked 3 goals, also went into the middle to play in the ruck for 8 hitouts, and he finished the game with 15 possessions.
But the onball setup was the current one, with Cox feeding Judd, Cousins and Kerr. Cox had 29 hitouts, Judd had 23 disposals, Cousins had 30 possessions and Kerr had 8 tackles. Cousins and Kerr also combined to kick 5 goals. No need for that structure to be changed by Coach Worsfold.
It was a game that was worthy of jacket-waving, as the Bombers won by a goal. But looking back now you can see how much the Eagles have improved since then and also see what the Bombers have not replaced from their team of 2004.
Round 3
April 10 2004
Essendon 137 defeated West Coast 131
The Crows will be without big Kurt Tippett for several months after he was injured at training.
Read the news from the Adelaide Crows about the Tippett injury.
The Crows would not have expected Tippett to be ready to play AFL in round 1 next season even before the injury, and as he will now miss most of the preseason his debut in 2007 for the Crows would be pushed even further back. If the other tall forwards for the Crows play well next season then Tippett may have to wait until 2008 for his chance.
In 2008, or maybe towards the end of the 2007 season, the Crows will have a lot of depth in their talls division when Tippett, Biglands and Hentschel are available. But until then the ruck spot will be manned by Hudson, Maric and Meesen while up forward the pressure will be on Perrie and Welsh next season, with McGregor, Gill and Sellar the other tall forward options.
The first in a series of stories looking at other sports around the world, and around Australia, and finding some similarities between the AFL teams and the teams in other sports. First up is the National Hockey League.
Adelaide Crows:
New York Rangers
The Rangers are one of the richest NHL teams, based in the middle of New York City they regularly fill the Madison Square Garden. While the city of Adelaide may not rank up there with New York, the Crows are one of the AFL's most profitable clubs and tickets to their games are always sold quickly. The Crows and Rangers are also the big, and original, teams in two-team towns. The Crows brought in an older star, Wayne Carey, to try to win another cup but it didn't work. The Rangers brought in an older star, Mark Messier, to try to win a cup and for them it was a success.
Brisbane Lions:
Colorado Avalanche
Some Fitzroy players as well as the Lions name went to Brisbane and the team had a reversal of fortunes soon after. The Avalanche were originally the Quebec Nordiques, they were an unsuccessful team until they moved to Colorado and have since been a title winner.
Carlton Blues:
St. Louis Blues
More of a name is the same similarity. While many teams in world sports have "Blues" as more of an unofficial team name, St. Louis has always had it as their name. But the type of music is also a reason for the name, as well as their team colours.
Collingwood Magpies:
Philadelphia Flyers
There have often been times when the Flyers were a team that other fans despised. Sometimes that was because the Flyers were winning, other times it was due to their aggressive style of play, and aggressive could be another name for thuggish. Plenty of AFL fans also despise the Magpies, but just like the Flyers, Collingwood not only accepts that but they relish it.
Essendon Bombers:
Edmonton Oilers
Both teams had a good run in the first half of the 1980s. Edmonton once had Gretzky who was his sports greatest ever scorer, but Edmonton didn't have him for as long as they would have wanted. A long time ago Essendon had John Coleman, one of the best full forwards ever, and his career with Essendon was also not as long as the Bombers would have liked.
Fremantle Dockers:
Anaheim Ducks
The Dockers are one of the newer teams in the AFL, while the Ducks joined the NHL not too long ago. In Fremantle's early seasons they had a bit of a Mickey Mouse team, the Ducks were actually named after the Disney Mighty Ducks movie. The Ducks once brought in a big-name star, Sergei Federov, to try to win the title and the Dockers have also acquired a couple of stars to help them win in 2007.
Geelong Cats:
Detroit Red Wings
Both teams are in cities that were built thanks to Henry Ford. They also both have a long history in their leagues. One difference is that the Red Wings have turned their team around in the last decade and have won several titles. Both cities also cheered on a big star with a name starting with the letter G, Gary Ablett for Geelong and Gordie Howe for Detroit.
Hawthorn Hawks:
Chicago Blackhawks
A couple of teams called hawks, and they also have a long history of winning but have struggled in recent times.
Kangaroos:
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins are always a team that is about to relocate, the Kangaroos also know the problems that occur when the fan base is not big enough or the income is too small. But both teams have won and have also had star players, Carey for the Kangaroos and Lemieux for the Penguins.
Melbourne Demons:
New Jersey Devils
There are Red Devils in soccer, and Blue Devils in NCAA sports, and the NHL also has an evil-sounding team. The NHL's Devils have had a lot more success then the AFL's Demons over the past decade.
Port Adelaide Power:
New York Islanders
The Islanders are New York's "second team". The Power know what that is like. But both teams have had a period of success where they overshadowed their more famous city rival.
Richmond Tigers:
Toronto Maple Leafs
Richmond used to win a lot, but it was many years ago. The Maple Leafs also have a lot of titles, but it was so long ago that few remember them now.
St Kilda Saints:
Minnesota Wild
Maybe "saints" isn't the best word to describe some of the players who have been at Moorabbin over the years. There have certainly been some "wild" ones there.
Sydney Swans:
Los Angeles Kings
The VFL experimented with their move of a team to Sydney. This was the first step in making their league a national league. The NHL experimented when they put a team in L.A. many years ago, it also opened up a lot more areas for their sport. Sydney only became successful when stars like Lockett and Hall were brought in, while the Los Angeles Kings achieved their best results after trading for Wayne Gretzky.
West Coast Eagles:
Dallas Stars
The Eagles have the big state of Western Australia and plenty of resources to build contenders. The Stars have the big state of Texas and are also able to find the best players.
Western Bulldogs:
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes were once the Hartford Whalers. The Whalers were struggling financially for many years and eventually had to change their location. The Bulldogs were once called Footscray, but they have been able to stay together and overcome many financial problems. They did alter their name, but are still in the same place.
Next time: European Soccer teams and their AFL equivalents.
Melbourne's Christmas List:
A superstar to suddenly appear.
The Demons are relying on improvement from within to make them a top 4 side in 2007. They didn't make any trades and their draft picks won't be making an impact next season. Melbourne fans will be wishing that many of their young players, like McLean and Moloney, continue to improve and that they will have one or more players suddenly take a big step into superstardom.
If Lynden Dunn or Paul Johnson can step up next season then the Demons will be contenders. Johnson is bigger and has been in the league longer, but he is very injury-prone. If Demons fans are going to wish for another key position forward star then they better get behind Dunn.
Dunn was a high draft pick in 2004, going to the Demons at pick 15. Bate went a couple of picks ahead of him and he has already established himself in the Melbourne side. It can take longer for taller players, when compared to smaller players, to become AFL players but Dunn is ready now. If Dunn had played every game last season he would have been in their top five for goals. In 2007 he would be a lock for a top 4 spot there along with Neitz, Robertson and Davey, as long as they play him.
Melbourne fans will have other items on their Christmas list. The health of Neitz and White is very important, one of them goes down and the Demons are looking at a top 3 draft pick instead of a top 3 position on the 2007 ladder. Melbourne fans will also be wishing that Pickett keeps up the physical play, Davey keeps producing freakish goals and that Nathan Carroll continues to befuddle opposition forwards. But their biggest wish will be that one player on their list makes a rapid improvement and propels them into a top 4 team.
Melbourne need a young player like Dunn to step up or Daniher will be done.
Kangaroos' Christmas List:
Excitement.
Wins and goals were in short supply last season. Their old North Melbourne fans, and their new following in Queensland, will be wishing for not only an improvement in the win column but also a more exciting team on the field.
The Kangaroos have actually addressed their need for excitement, and they will be thanking the Gippsland Power for producing a couple of exciting young players. Hansen is a welcome change to the slower big-men that have been playing for the Kangaroos. He will be a mark-of-the-year contender, he will be charging out of the backline with the ball and he will be providing courageous plays every game.
Ben Ross shares with Hansen a need for a different hairstyle, as well as a background with the Gippsland Power and also the ability to entertain the crowd. But he will be played up forward and he should be an exciting goal scorer, if they give him a chance.
Lindsay Thomas was drafted at pick 53 but he was one of the more exciting prospects in the draft. The Kangaroos need speed and Thomas will help. He could be joined by Ross in the Roos forward line and bring another dimension to a forward line that has been big but also slow.
Players like Hale and Watt are good players but they don't bring in the fans with their style of play. Big Sav Rocca was someone who entertained and he will be missed. But their fans should be excited to have athletic youngsters at their club now, who will help them win as well as entertain them with their individual brilliance. It will all depend on the coach as to whether the hope of a more exciting team eventuates. Some excitement machines have been brought in but they need to be given the green light, a faster tempo game-plan needs to be implemented and these are the responsibility of Coach Laidley.
If any publicity is good publicity then Carlton are in a good position. Among many stories out of Princes Park is the one of who the club chose in the preseason draft and who the coach wanted.
Go back a few months and the story was Pagan wanted Michael Gardiner, he didn't get him. Now we are told that Pagan wanted Ty Zantuck, and again he didn't get him.
The combo of Gardiner and Zantuck would have been older and stronger, and most likely more controversial, than what Carlton did get in the preseason draft. Ackland is several years younger than Gardiner, he brings a lot less "baggage" to the Blues although he is also a little but shorter too. Cameron Cloke and Ty Zantuck might have been their options for an enforcer role in the Carlton backline. Each player has their bad points, but maybe Cloke has fewer of them.
The reasons why Coach Pagan went public about the preseason draft disagreement at Carlton are unknown, but there must be a change in the board, the match committee or the coach coming soon as they can't continue the way they are.
If Carlton did have Gardiner and Zantuck it might not have changed anything on the AFL ladder next season. Next September Carlton fans are unlikely to be saying, "If only we had Gardiner and Zantuck, we'd be a contender".
Cain Ackland - Ruckman: 196cm, 96kg. 16 March 1982.
Michael Gardiner - Ruckman: 199cm, 99kg. 5 July 1979.
Cameron Cloke - Tall Defender: 195cm, 98 kg. 20 December 1984.
Ty Zantuck - Tall/Medium Defender: 188cm, 93kg. 15 February 1982.
There won't be a lot of players from the preseason draft who will help your AFL fantasy teams. Some players will struggle to play a lot of games for their new teams. There are a lot of ruckmen in the preseason picks, and as that position doesn't get enough stats for fantasy you won't want those players either. The best strategy might be to not have any of the following players on your AFL fantasy team for round 1 2007.
Cain Ackland: Carlton ruckmen are usually poor for fantasy numbers, Ackland will be splitting time with McLaren so forget about him for fantasy teams.
Mal Michael: If spoils were a fantasy stat then he would be a solid player, but full backs are not the best option for a fantasy team.
Ben Ross: Could be a player that surprises next season, has the potential to score a few goals and get some possessions too. As he is a new player to AFL his initial cost will be very low in fantasy leagues.
Adam Cockshell: If Tredrea is healthy next season then forget about most of the other big forwards at the Power for fantasy teams.
Josh Thurgood: A courageous player down back but his game doesn't produce fantasy statistics.
Kent Kingsley: He will probably have a few big games, but he will probably have a lot more when it isn't good to have him playing in your fantasy team. But if Richardson is out then Kingsley could produce.
Matthew Clarke: Hitouts are not a stat in most AFL fantasy leagues, so you can't play Clarke.
Chris Bryan: If he spends a lot of time on the ground, as a forward and as a backup ruckman, then he might help. But the best plan is to not play him unless Josh Fraser is out of the Collingwood team.
Cameron Cloke: He may not get many games next season, so don't put him in your fantasy team.
Collingwood Magpies(451)
Essendon Bombers(384)
West Coast Eagles(321)
Hawthorn Hawks(302)
Carlton Blues(291)
Sydney Swans(288)
Richmond Tigers(280)
Brisbane Lions(279)
St Kilda Saints(258)
Kangaroos(242)
Adelaide Crows(228)
Western Bulldogs(227)
Geelong Cats(218)
Port Adelaide Power(188)
Melbourne Demons(181)
Fremantle Dockers(153)
You can look at the crowd numbers, the TV ratings, the membership sales and here is another way to see how popular the AFL teams are. The numbers correspond to the auctions on ebay for sports memorabilia. While it should be pointed out that some of the newer teams would have produced less memorabilia, the list above is probably close to the real thing for the popularity of the teams.
The Kangaroos are a bit high, the Crows should be a lot higher and Melbourne is probably in the right spot. Collingwood like to claim that they are the biggest club, and this list seems to agree.
Here is something that may not be getting a sequel, memorabilia from the Australia versus Ireland games. This is a signed shirt from 2003.
2003 Australian international rules framed jersey
Maybe this type of memorabilia will go up in price with the series suspended, as there won't be more made anytime soon. But alternatively with no games to watch the interest of fans will decline and the prices for memorabilia from the Irish series could also go down. But AFL memorabilia shouldn't be purchased just as an investment, it should be something the fans like to own and a signed shirt of the 2003 Australian team would look good on your wall.
Every now and then a look at some of the AFL memorabilia available will be posted here. Interesting things from old football cards, player figures, game-used uniforms, collectable AFL cars, the Football Record and anything else AFL that is rare, expensive, strange, hysterical or historical. None of the specific items in the auctions are from aflinsider.net so if you are going to bid then bid carefully, checking feedback and asking the seller questions if needed.
This is something that you can leave a comment for, name a former Carlton player who then went to Collingwood in recent years. Or even the older days of the VFL if you can think of some players.
Chris Bryan is certainly taking a path that few before him have, going from Carlton to Collingwood.
Back in 1997 Collingwood picked Brett Warburton in the rookie draft, he was at Carlton but not on their main list. If you go back to the time of the midseason drafts, Collingwood once drafted little Fraser Murphy. Murphy didn't play a game for the Magpies though. The Magpies also drafted Ross Johns from Carlton with a preseason pick in 1992.
Bryan might be opening up a road for others to follow. When Nick Stevens was previously out of contract he wanted to go from the Power to the Magpies, that didn't happen but his big contract with Carlton is ending soon so there could be another chance for Stevens to go to Collingwood in the future.
Carlton have had some Collingwood recruits in recent years. Cameron Cloke, Trent Hotton, Heath Scotland, Mick McGuane, Barry Mitchell and also Peter McKenna quite a few years before the others.
Bryan has a new start at Collingwood. He is a at a team that needs his height and will provide him plenty of opportunities. The success of Collingwood to Carlton players hasn't been that great so now people can compare them to Bryan who is a rare Carlton to Collingwood player.
Hawthorn's Christmas List:
Cheap travel to Tasmania, Thorp into the lineup for round one, and some weight for Thurgood.
The Hawks should build a formidable home-ground advantage in Tasmania and their fans based on the mainland will want to be part of that. If Hawthorn fans want to see a win in Tasmania then the games against the Power and Kangaroos are the ones to organize a holiday around. If they want to see more action and a closer result then the early season games against the Cats and the Eagles should provide plenty of excitement. Hawthorn fans will be hoping for some good package deals so they can take the boat over a couple of times every year.
There is no need for Hawthorn to take their time with Thorp and their fans will be hoping the coach has Thorp out there in round one. He has already played in the VFL so playing with Box Hill won't help him. He needs to be thrown into the action and the team can develop together as he joins other young players like Franklin, Kennedy, Birchall and Bailey.
Thurgood has returned to Hawthorn through the preseason draft but he still has that one problem to overcome, no it isn't his hair it is his weight. Like David Bourke at Richmond a few years ago, Thurgood is struggling to add the bulk that he needs for AFL. Thurgood has his fans at both Hawthorn and Box Hill and they will hope that he returns bigger and better.
The real Christmas gifts that Hawthorn get next season are all the extra young players that they acquired with picks they had traded for. Thompson, Hay and Everitt were not going to win them a premiership but they exchanged those three for a lot of early draft picks.
Maybe everything on the Christmas list does arrive for Hawthorn fans. There will be plenty of fans going to Tasmania in the coming seasons so the travel price should be reasonable. Thorp won't need to worry about getting transport for his fans to the Tasmanian games as they already live there, and they should be watching him in the seniors from round 1 and they will be able to see him in action live for all of the Hawks’ games there.
FB: B Hart, A Kellaway, T Schwarze
HB: T Makepeace, A Henneman, J Cloke
C: C McGrath, H Skipworth, D Spriggs
HF: T Roach, J Perry, I Prendergast
FF: H Miller, M McCarthy, A Murray
Foll: C Keating, N Ries, P Koulouriotis
bench: T Cartledge, D Fanning, P Walsh, T Gaspar
A lot of the players in the above team are very unlucky that they are not on AFL lists for season 2007. Some may be able to get back to the AFL if they star in the SANFL, VFL or another league over the next year or two. Other players, like Hart and Keating, have now run out of drafts to find a new team and retirement is their next step.
There are some former players who have careers outside of football to go to now, like Aaron Henneman, and other players have already found a club in a lower league, like Spriggs with VFL side Port Melbourne and Makepeace with Casey Scorpions.
Of the players listed, a few do have realistic hopes of a return to the AFL. Younger players like Roach, Skipworth and Perry might find their way back to the top league. If they need inspiration then Josh Mahoney would be a good player to consider, as he was delisted by several AFL teams and then after several years out of the AFL he was brought back by the Power and played in their AFL premiership team.
Kingsley, Bryan and Cameron Cloke didn’t leave their former clubs on the best of terms. Kingsley had been played at full forward at Geelong by default, as they didn’t have anyone better at the time. Chris Bryan started off his career very well with Carlton, he was a much-needed tall and he also brought a big boot, but for 2006 it seemed he was in the coach’s doghouse. Father Cloke was more than a little displeased when two of his sons were delisted by Collingwood, but with Cameron getting another chance he can show his former team what they lost. All three players were selected in the preseason draft and will have circled the games against their former teams on the 2007 AFL schedule.
The plan at Geelong wasn’t to have Kent Kingsley as their key forward, but as all their other forward options struggled it meant that Kingsley was the best they had. If Kingsley is compared to Brett Spinks or Derek Hall then he was very successful, but as all Geelong forwards are inevitably compared to Gary Ablett, the original version, then Kingsley never fulfilled their expectations. Kingsley will want to be playing in round 6, as the Tigers have an away game against the Cats at Telstra Dome. The two teams also meet in the preseason competition, that game won’t mean as much as the regular season game, but Kingsley will definitely want to kick at least a couple of goals when he returns to Kardinia Park.
Chris Bryan has to wait until round 7 for the Collingwood versus Carlton game next season. Some at Carlton have said that Bryan didn’t have the best attitude to training, but if he is kicking 55m goals against them at the MCG then Bryan will have the last laugh. Bryan might be the backup ruckman that game, or he could spend a lot of time up forward. It will be a matchup to watch if Cameron Cloke lines up on Bryan for that game.
Jason Cloke won’t be getting a chance to prove Collingwood wrong, but his brother will. Cameron Cloke will have to make sure he is playing senior football when round 7 comes along. Cameron Cloke might then get a chance to play against not only Bryan, but maybe against big Rocca or possibly two Clokes could be opposed to each other if Cameron is matched up with Travis Cloke.
With only nine players selected in the preseason draft there were a lot of players who missed out on a chance for revenge. Keating won’t be able to show the Lions that he can still play, while delisted defenders Kellaway and Hart miss out too.
When Derek Kickett was playing for the first time with the Swans against his former club Essendon it was a memorable game. Maybe Kingsley, Bryan and Cloke don’t make as big of an impact as Kickett did when they play their former teams, but if they do get the chance next season it will be something to watch.
Geelong's Christmas List:
Changes, and building the team around Hawkins.
They had a review that analysed every part of the club and when it finally concluded nothing had really changed. Trade week promised a lot of things for the Cats but again nothing happened. While Cats fans might like to receive their membership pack for Christmas if their team was also improved it would make them even happier.
Not a lot changed off the field, so with the same coach it is also unlikely that much will change on the field. King and Ottens will have good games, but then either injuries or poor form usually hit them, and the backline will stop some opponents but they need more height and bulk there.
There is the chance that the forward line might be different. They have to play Hawkins but something to watch will be if they are prepared to build the forward structure around him or if Geelong just put him in a forward pocket and use Ottens as their main target.
While the coach wasn't changed the captaincy did go to Harley. This might not change the team's style of play or reputation, but at least it was a change there.
Another thing the Cats might be wishing for is to not win their preseason games, last time they won the preseason cup but then the wheels really fell off. Maybe not the best strategy, but if you look at what happened to the two previous winners of the preseason competition there is definitely a jinx for their regular season.
Maybe things do change at Geelong next season, but their fans have been waiting a long time and they don't want to wait any longer. At least their team received the gift of a huge full forward in Tom Hawkins, and when round one comes along they will be happy to see Hawkins in the goalsquare and not Kingsley. Hawkins and Selwood will be two changes on the field next season but Geelong fans will be hoping for a few more in 2007.
In many ways, yesterday was a good day for Tom Lonergan and Luke Brennan, as they were selected in the AFL rookie draft. Lonergan already knew the Cats would bring him back, while Brennan had an anxious wait to hear that he went from Hawthorn to Sydney.
But for both players it wasn't the best day to be on the road. A story from The Herald-Sun talks about both players escaping car crashes yesterday.
Adelaide:
Andrew McIntyre
James Turner
Rhys Archard
Greg Gallman
The Crows have had a lot of success in rookie drafts, and they stayed in South Australia to find their prospects. McIntyre could eventually join previous rookie picks like Bock and Rutten in the Crows backline. Turner gives them another prospect to develop as a forward.
Brisbane:
Anthony Corrie
Scott Clouston
Daniel Dzufer
Haydyn Kiel
Joel Tippett
Will Hamill
The Lions know the talent in their home state and Kiel, Dzufer or Clouston might be playing for the Lions next season. Corrie was delisted by the Lions after injuries hampered him but he gets another chance to get back to AFL now.
Carlton:
Cain Ackland (preseason draft pick)
Cameron Cloke (preseason)
Sam Jacobs
Michael Jamison
Ross Young
They have needed ruckmen for a while but only addressed that this offseason. They have added Ackland who can also play as a tall forward, C Cloke has played in the ruck but is also capable of filling a key position at either end if needed, and Sam Jacobs is a taller prospect who will be developed alongside Sean Hampson who they selected in the AFL National Draft. Jamison can play in a tall spot at either end while Ross Young is a small defensive option.
Collingwood:
Chris Bryan (preseason)
Sharrod Wellingham
Brent Macaffer
Martin Clarke
Ireland has provided some athletic players in recent seasons and Collingwood might be the next team to benefit with the addition of Clarke. Chris Bryan didn't play a lot last season, and he could be used a lot more by the Magpies. Wellingham gives the Magpies another midfield prospect to develop.
Essendon:
Mal Michael (preseason)
Dean Dick
Danny Chartres
Adam Ramanauskas
The Bombers came away with future stars with their first three or four picks in the AFL National Draft and they have again found a couple of great prospects. Dick could be played forward and he has plenty of time ahead of him to develop, Chartres can fill several spots in a backline and is ready to play if injuries hit the Bombers next season. Chartres was a possible pick for Essendon in the aflinsider.net mock drafts and he may have been someone they considered in the AFL National Draft at pick 47. Chartres is also a good backup plan if Michael changes his mind again and does retire sometime in the next year or two. The Bombers will be greatly improved next season with the addition of Michael, and keeping Ramanauskas on their list was also a win for Essendon.
Fremantle:
Chris Smith
Andrew Foster
Darren Rumble
Benet Copping
The Dockers didn't delist many players and Copping was the lucky one to get another chance there. The Dockers did the same thing with Crowley in the past so Copping may be able to work his way back to the main list. Chris Smith fills a need for them and if they require scoring, and an injury hits, then Smith might be playing a few games next season. AFL commentators will be hoping that Rumble gets into a game too, "let's get ready to" Rumble.
Geelong:
Joel Reynolds
Liam Bedford
Jason Davenport
Tom Lonergan
It was important for the Cats to retain Lonergan, and with the rookie spot they have the ability to elevate him if his health allows it. Another player who could be going from the rookie list to the senior side is Joel Reynolds. He has experience with the Bombers and could help the Cats if Harley or Hunt were hurt. Davenport could be a player that Geelong continue to develop into an attacking wingman, and he could go from their VFL side to their rookie list and then to their AFL list in a couple of years. Reminiscent of players in the past going though the Under 19s, Reserves and then the Seniors.
Hawthorn:
Josh Thurgood (preseason)
Brett Collins
Matthew Suckling
Sam Gibson
Josh Thurgood and the Destroyers could still happen at Hawthorn. The Hawks decided to give him another go and as the Hawks have added some bigger bodies to their list now there won't be a reason for the Hawks to play Thurgood on key forwards.
Kangaroos:
Ben Ross (preseason)
Leigh Adams
Ben Hughes
Matt Campbell
Tim Hutchison
The Kangaroos obviously thought that Ross might be taken by another team in the preseason draft so they made sure they got him there instead of waiting for the rookie draft. Adams was one of the players expected to go at pick 3 of the preseason draft and the Kangaroos will be happy to have been able to take him in the rookie draft.
Melbourne:
Daniel Hayes
The Demons added a small forward prospect with Hayes. Hayes is an athletic youngster so the Demons could have found a player that will get a game with them in the future.
Port Adelaide:
Adam Cockshell (preseason)
Alex Lee
Gavin Grose
Nathan Batsanis
Peter Hardy
Cockshell is a big target up forward and can contribute a goal or two per game. Lee and Grose are a couple more big bodies. Batsanis was a high-possession winner in the TAC Cup, and he will get the AFL chance that other players from the TAC Cup like Caruso didn't.
Richmond:
Kent Kingsley (preseason)
Tasman Clingan
Jake King
They really did go for Kingsley, that will cause a lot of debate among Tigers fans. There might be enough room for Richardson, Kingsley, Riewoldt and Schulz in their forward line, as well as Brown, Krakouer or another small option. The pressure will be on when Kingsley does play and he will need to contribute on the scoreboard in his first game for Richmond.
St Kilda:
Matthew Clarke (preseason)
Clinton Jones
Luke van Rheenen
Robert Eddy
James Wall
Jarryn Geary
Jayden Attard
The Saints had a good day, Clarke gives their new coach the tap ruckman he wanted and they also picked up some rookies who were unlucky not to go in the AFL National Draft. Attard is also a player who might find a spot with the Saints senior team in the future too.
Sydney:
Nick Smith
Matthew O'Dwyer
Luke Brennan
Matthew Davis
Earl Shaw
The Swans brought back a couple of their former players as well as a former Hawk, Brennan. Brennan was drafted by Hawthorn at pick 8 of the 2002 National Draft. Smith and O'Dwyer might get a chance in the Swans backline in the future.
West Coast:
Jamie McNamara
Llane Spaanderman
Chad Jones
Ben Sharp
Ashley Thornton
Beau Wilkes
The Eagles find quality players in the rookie drafts and a player or two from this draft could be playing for them in the next couple of years. Spaanderman was a high pick by the Lions, pick 18 in 2003 of the AFL National Draft, and he is another big body that the Eagles have on their list now. The Kangaroos took Kasey Green last season after the Eagles delisted him and now the Eagles give a delisted Kangaroo, Jones, another chance. Jamie McNamara is a young prospect from WA who will be given time in the WAFL to grow.
Western Bulldogs:
Gavin Hughes
Jarrod Harbrow
Marty Pask
Michael West
Hughes and Harbrow continue the Bulldogs drafting of small, talented players. Hughes would be a chance to play next season if the Bulldogs lose players to long-term injury. Pask is a big, strong player who had some good games with Brisbane last season. Akermanis previously said that Pask needed another go at the AFL and his new team listened.
1. Carlton: Sam Jacobs
2. Essendon: Dean Dick
3. Kangaroos: Leigh Adams
4. Brisbane: Anthony Corrie
5. Port Adelaide: Alex Lee
6. Hawthorn: Brett Collins
7. Geelong: Joel Reynolds
8. Richmond: Tasman Clingan
9. St Kilda: Clinton Jones
10. Collingwood: Sharrod Wellingham
11. Western Bulldogs: Gavin Hughes
12. Melbourne: Daniel Hayes
13. Fremantle: Chris Smith
14. Adelaide: Andrew McIntyre
15. Sydney: Nick Smith
16. West Coast: Jamie McNamara
17. Carlton: Michael Jamison
18. Essendon: Danny Chartres
19. Kangaroos: Ben Hughes
20. Brisbane: Scott Clouston
21. Port Adelaide: Gavin Grose
22. Hawthorn: Matthew Suckling
23. Geelong: Liam Bedford
24. Richmond: Jake King
25. St Kilda: Luke van Rheenen
26. Collingwood: Brent Macaffer
27. Western Bulldogs: Jarrod Harbrow
28. Fremantle: Andrew Foster
29. Adelaide: James Turner
30. Sydney: Matthew O'Dwyer
31. West Coast: Llane Spaanderman
32. Carlton: Ross Young
33. Essendon: Adam Ramanauskas
34. Kangaroos: Matt Campbell
35. Brisbane: Daniel Dzufer
36. Port Adelaide: Nathan Batsanis
37. Hawthorn: Sam Gibson
38. Geelong: Jason Davenport
39. St Kilda: Robert Eddy
40. Collingwood: Martin Clarke
41. Western Bulldogs: Marty Pask
42. Fremantle: Darren Rumble
43. Adelaide: Rhys Archard
44. Sydney: Luke Brennan
45. West Coast: Chad Jones
46. Carlton: PASS
47. Kangaroos: Tim Hutchison
48. Brisbane: Haydyn Kiel
49. Port Adelaide: Peter Hardy
50. Geelong: Tom Lonergan
51. St Kilda: James Wall
52. Western Bulldogs: Michael West
53. Fremantle: Benet Copping
54. Adelaide: Greg Gallman
55. Sydney: Matthew Davis
56. West Coast: Ben Sharp
57. Brisbane: Joel Tippett
58. St Kilda: Jarryn Geary
59. Sydney: Earl Shaw
60. West Coast: Ashley Thornton
61. Brisbane: Will Hamill
62. St Kilda: Jayden Attard
63. Sydney: PASS
64. West Coast: Beau Wilkes
Carlton may have gone with the smaller types of ruckmen in the preseason draft but they went bigger with the first pick in the rookie draft with Sam Jacobs. Jacobs is a big ruck prospect from South Australia.
Essendon and Geelong have officially kept Ramanauskas and Lonergan on their lists, while the Lions also brought back Anthony Corrie who has been injured.
Essendon also drafted a couple of versatile players who might make it onto their main list in the future. Dean Dick and Danny Chartres both have a lot of potential, Chartres is older and if a spot opens up then he might be playing for the Bombers next season.
Akermanis isn't just getting the Bulldogs publicity but he is also scouting talent for them. He thought big Marty Pask deserved another chance at AFL level and Pask will be with Akermanis at the Bulldogs now.
The Kangaroos might have gone with Adams in the preseason draft, but it didn't matter as they still got him in the rookie draft.
The Magpies have officially added their Irish recruit Marty Clarke.
Several of the players taken in this draft will have an impact in AFL next season.
1 Carlton: Cain Ackland
2 Essendon: Mal Michael
3 Kangaroos: Ben Ross
4 Port Adelaide: Adam Cockshell
5 Hawthorn: Josh Thurgood
6 Richmond: Kent Kingsley
7 St. Kilda: Matthew Clarke
8 Collingwood: Chris Bryan
9 Carlton: Cameron Cloke
More analysis will follow for both the preseason and also the rookie drafts. Ben Ross, a small forward, will rejoin Hansen as the Kangaroos find another player from the Gippsland Power. Cockshell is a big goalkicker from Norwood so the Power picked a local player. Thurgood gets the second chance he deserved with Hawthorn. Kingsley could be used alongside Richardson and Riewoldt as the Tigers try to find more goals.
Clarke was who the Saints wanted and the Saints have plenty of ruckmen to choose from now. Bryan should be an effective backup for Fraser and they could rotate through the ruck and a position in the forward line. The reports were right and Cloke was picked by Carlton. So Carlton and Collingwood did end up swapping talls.
Carlton's 1995 Grand Final team had a forward line with half the players acquired through the preseason drafts. Name the three forwards from the 1995 team that were preseason draft choices, and also name their previous AFL teams that delisted the players.
1 Carlton: Cain Ackland
2 Essendon: Mal Michael
3 Kangaroos: Nathan Batsanis
4 Port Adelaide: Tom Hurley
5 Hawthorn: Ben Ross
6 Richmond: Robert Eddy
7 St. Kilda: Matthew Clarke
8 Collingwood: Chris Bryan
9 Carlton: Cameron Cloke
The first two picks are set, and possibly the last three picks as well. That leaves four teams in the middle of the preseason draft who will have to decide between an older veteran player, a younger delisted player or a youngster who hasn't been on a list before.
The Kangaroos have looked at Skipworth, they might bring back one of the players they just delisted or they could take another young prospect who was not selected in the AFL National Draft. Batsanis would give them another midfield option, they did select Lindsay Thomas in the draft but need to add more players like him. Leigh Adams is another player who has been linked to the Kangaroos.
The Power had many players training with them who could be picked here, so Miller or Skipworth might have their AFL careers extended. Hurley and Jacobs are two South Australians who weren't picked in the draft and either one would be a good choice for the Power.
Maybe Hawthorn bring back Thurgood, or take Joel Perry, but there isn't a need for that type of player. They drafted Thorp, Renouf, Morton and Kennedy who would all be tall/medium options. A young, small player like Ross might be worth a shot.
Kent Kingsley could be the pick for Richmond. They will also have the chance to take Clarke or Keating and either player could help them next season. The Tigers can also draft a prospect overlooked in the draft like Adams, Sheringham or Eddy.
Carlton and Essendon have announced their intention to take Ackland and Michael at the top of the preseason draft. Clarke reportedly is the player the Saints want and Chris Bryan seems to have an arrangement to join Collingwood. Carlton have the last pick and it seems that Cameron Cloke is going to be their choice, although they might be able to take a different player at pick 9 and then get Cloke with their first rookie draft pick.
Fremantle's Christmas List:
A Grand Final appearance.
The Dockers are doing everything right. They were one win away from the Grand Final last season and they traded away some of their future to acquire Tarrant and Solomon to get them to the top in 2007.
For the Dockers, a Grand Final appearance isn't just a wish but also an expectation. The Dockers will be more experienced, more prepared and they have improved over the offseason enough to go the extra step in 2007.
While all fans of all clubs will be wishing for a Grand Final, the Dockers do deserve it as they along with University could be the only teams not to play in a Grand Final for the AFL/VFL.
For trade week they would have wished for an athletic forward who can take marks around half forward and also a tough, experienced defender. Those wishes were granted and the Grand Final appearance is very possible too.
FB: Jaymie Graham Johncock
HB: Chris Grant Birchall
C: Joel Corey Enright
HF: Dale Thomas Murphy
FF: Leo Barry Hall
Foll: Josh Fraser Gehrig
Bench:
Farren Ray Hall
Mal Michael Gardiner
Jordan Russell Robertson
Chris Scott West
Jason Blake Grima
This isn't a team you would want to have on the field, as it would be short-handed with two players taking the spots of the usual three. A bit like the Wheel of Fortune puzzle clue of Before and After. So while the forward line sounds good, with Leo Barry and Barry Hall, there are only two players. A fun name game team for the AFL offseason.
You can post some other player name combinations in the comments section, there are probably quite a few more. With past players included, there could be Jim Jess Sinclair, Chris Judd Lalich and Cameron Bruce Duperouzel.
Mitchell Clark Keating would get a run in the current team if Keating gets drafted tomorrow. Marcus Allan Murray would have had a spot last season too.
There wasn't a spot for Lewis Roberts-Thomson or Nathan Lovett-Murray on this team. As that would be one player taking all three positions on a line.
Essendon's Christmas List:
One more big season from the veterans.
The Bombers will have plenty of experience next season, and their fans will be hoping that their veterans stay injury-free and lead them into the finals. With the addition of Mal Michael they have another player who has played in many Grand Finals. Hird and Fletcher have played in three AFL Grand Finals, and some other players at Essendon with experience in the big one include Lloyd, Johnson and Johnson, Lucas, Camporeale, Heffernan and McVeigh.
While injuries were not the only reason for Essendon's poor 2006 season, they did cost Essendon plenty of wins. Lloyd kicked eight goals in the opening round, so when he went down early in the season the Bombers lost a potential 100-goal scorer. Fletcher and Hird also missed games in 2006, they are the key player for Essendon at each end of the ground. Without Fletcher in the backline they fell apart, and the Bombers couldn't cope with the loss of Hird up forward especially with Lloyd out too.
If the Essendon fans get their wish and all their veterans stay healthy in 2007 then finals are guaranteed. A forward line with Lloyd, Lucas and Hird is up there with the best in the AFL. Their backline that will be built around the strength of Michael and the length of Fletcher should be greatly improved. The Bombers have plenty of big-game players, they just have to hope that they get them on the field when it matters.
FB: M Mattner, M Michael, N Bassett
HB: T Kennelly, B Rutten, N Bock
C: D. Pearce, C Fletcher, J McDonald
HF: D Rioli, R Robertson, G Moorcroft
FF: A Davey, Q Lynch, A Sandilands
Foll: D Cox, B Kirk, M Johnson
bench: D Jolly, D Brogan, N Carroll, S Tuck
Essendon were one of the teams to have success in the early rookie drafts. The Eagles may not have won in 2006 without the players they took in rookie drafts, the Swans also did well, and if the Crows win next season it could have a lot to do with finding most of their backline in the rookie drafts. The Demons and Power also found stars in the rookie draft, but Melbourne did trade away some of their finds.
It has been an eventful time for Peter Everitt since he was traded to the Swans. There was TV coverage of him driving from Melbourne to Sydney, there was even highlights of him playing golf and you can also have a look at this story from the Sydney Morning Herald to find out about Everitt's thoughts on Sydney, the AFL media coverage there and playing against his brother.
Harbour City move transforms a colourful Melbourne bad boy
A brief look at the players who were taken with the traded draft picks. It changes some of the trade results, with who might have got the better of the deals, but with anything involving the draft the real result will be several years away.
Collingwood: Paul Medhurst, Ben Reid and Tyson Goldsack
Fremantle: Chris Tarrant and Bachar Houli
Richmond: Graham Polak, Jack Riewoldt and Carl Peterson
Still looks like a trade where every team got what they wanted, but Richmond do look like the winner here. They only moved down a few spots but still ended up with Riewoldt as well as Polak. Collingwood also turned Tarrant into a possible superstar as they used pick 8 on Ben Reid. Fremantle got what they wanted too, players to help them get to the Grand Final, and by sending out a pick and a couple of players they didn't use they got Tarrant and Solomon.
Fremantle: Dean Solomon and Brock O'Brien
Essendon: Bachar Houli and Kyle Reimers
This trade looked really good for Essendon, but now the draft is over it will depend on what their picks do in the coming years. Solomon should help Fremantle next season, and there is also the chance of O'Brien becoming a regular player in the future too.
Sydney: Peter Everitt
Hawthorn: Jarryd Morton
The Hawks might have used this pick on a young ruckman but they took Renouf at pick 24, so with pick 33 from the Swans they took Morton. The Swans have the edge for the next couple of seasons, but Morton was a highly-rated prospect and in a few years he could be an important player for Hawthorn.
Bulldogs: Andrew McDougall, Chris Schmidt and Malcolm Lynch
West Coast: Eric MacKenzie and Jarryd Allen
Forgetting for a moment that the Bulldogs turned the pick that would be used on Schmidt into Akermanis, this is a very even trade. McDougall is a big that is older and can help the Bulldogs next season, the Eagles received MacKenzie who is younger and as the Eagles are planning for the future getting MacKenzie was a good move. This trade moved the Eagles from a couple of picks behind Fremantle in the second round to a couple of picks in front of them, it was a small move but it might have kept MacKenzie away from the Dockers.
Bulldogs: Jason Akermanis
Brisbane: Chris Schmidt
Brisbane had to trade Akermanis and with the pick they got for him they did find a promising young forward. It was an even trade, as it will help the Bulldogs next season as they try for the AFL Premiership and it will also help Brisbane as they add another skilled prospect that could quicken their rebuilding phase.
St Kilda: Shane Birss
Bulldogs: Jarryd Allen
Pick 59 went through many teams in trade week, and eventually ended up where it started. But maybe the Bulldogs would have kept the pick if they knew Allen would still be available.
St Kilda: Michael Gardiner and Jarryd Allen
West Coast: Tim Houlihan
West Coast really just gave Gardiner to the Saints, and although Allen was taken later than Houlihan in the draft Allen may also be the better player.
Go to the Official GAA Statement and read why trips to Ireland are finished, for now.
Not only are the AFL games suspended, but the junior games have also been stopped. There is still a chance that the games could be brought back for 2008, but several rule changes would need to be agreed to by the AFL.
Collingwood's Christmas List:
Another ruckman, a quick return for Didak and maybe someone who plays like Tarrant.
If the Magpies had two players like Fraser they would have won a Grand Final in recent times. Their coach thinks that guy called Richards will help, and there could be a ruckman going to Collingwood in the preseason draft too, but they may not be the piece they need. Travis Cloke may improve in 2007, but he really isn't tall enough. If Magpies fans are going to put their hopes on one player then maybe Ben Reid is the one. He could grow a bit taller, than his 196cm he is listed at now, and he can play all over the ground. Reid could be like Goodes but that is several years away.
If the Magpies are getting to the finals in 2007 it might depend on how many games Didak plays. If he plays at least half the season then he could get the Magpies a few extra wins, and a spot in the bottom of the top 8.
While many fans accepted the need to trade Tarrant, there were plenty of others at Collingwood who wanted him to stay. They might be wishing for his return in the future, or for a similar player to entertain them. This wish has been granted, and under the Collingwood Christmas tree are Reid and Nathan Brown, as well as an improved Dale Thomas.
The odds are slightly in Collingwood's favour as to whether they find a viable second ruckman, Didak's return seems to also be on schedule and Collingwood have filled some of holes that trading Tarrant created. Collingwood fans might not be getting a trophy next year but they did receive some gifts in the draft and can look forward to a competitive team next season.
FB: D Morris, S O'h Ailpin, B Thornton
HB: T Lockyer, M Bishop, N Lovett-Murray
C: R Copeland, M Boyd, P Bevan
HF: B Jones, B Marsh, R Crowley
FF: S Armstrong, C Johns, M Porter
Foll: R Campbell, G Tivendale, D Peverill
bench: B French, J Rooke, D Ward, R Betheras
Matthew Clarke had a very short retirement, as he has nominated for the AFL Preseason Draft and is expected to be one of the nine players selected. But several questions have to be asked, like why he didn't stay with the Crows, why the Saints want him and will Clarke even get to pick 7?
When Biglands hurt his knee it also opened up a spot for Clarke at the Crows in 2007. If Hudson and Biglands were both playing then Clarke may have played sparingly, but like in 2006 when Hudson was also injured and Clarke played a lot, for next season Clarke could have continued as an important part of the Crows midfield group. The Crows are also very close to the Grand Final, so it is a bit of a mystery as to why Clarke would leave.
The Saints already got their "200 hitout ruckman" when they traded for Gardiner, but you do need to use his hitouts per game average from 2006 to get that statistic. With Clarke, he was close to 300 total hitouts last season. So Clarke can definitely help the Saints. Lyon coached Ball and Jolly when he was Roos' assistant at the Swans, and Lyon may have found two players to fill that role for his new team. Gardiner is like Ball in several aspects of the game, and both of the former Eagles have played not only in the ruck but also as a big forward. Jolly is similar to Clarke, a classic ruckman that can accumulate lots of hitouts.
Clarke is too old for Carlton, and they already agreed to take Ackland, so he gets past pick 1. Essendon have the green light from the AFL to take Mal Michael so Clarke won't be taken at pick 2. That leaves four more teams who could stop Clarke getting to the Saints.
The Kangaroos are concentrating on youth, and although Clarke could help them next season it wouldn't be enough to make them a contender and it would take away from the playing time of Hale, McIntosh and Moran.
The Power already have veteran ruckmen Lade and Brogan, but there are some reasons for them to take Clarke. Their ruckmen have had injury problems so a backup with Clarke's ability would strengthen their list, Clarke's addition might allow them to play Lade a lot more in the forward line where he could help Tredrea and the Power would also be keeping a needed ruckman from a team that will be competing with Port Adelaide for a finals spot. But the Power are not expected to take Clarke.
The Hawks just traded away their veteran ruckman, Everitt, so there is a case for Clarke and a case against drafting him. Everitt was not part of their future so the Hawks made the right move in trading him. They already have Campbell and also have young bigmen Bailey and Renouf. The young players need to play and Clarke would take games away from Bailey and Renouf. But if Hawthorn want to win more games next season than in 2006 then Clarke would be useful for that. It only costs them a preseason pick and Clarke would be able to direct the ball successfully to their midfield of Mitchell, Hodge and their other young stars. Hawthorn are probably happy to go into next season with Campbell, Bailey and Renouf so if they do take Clarke it would be a big surprise.
That means the only team between Clarke and the Saints is the Tigers. Richmond have added enough youth in recent years, they are stuck just outside the top 8 and they need a veteran push to improve. The Tigers will have Kingsley as a possible choice in the preseason draft, but the addition of Clarke might help them more. Simmonds had a great year last season and was not only a capable ruckman but also contributed quite a few goals. But without Stafford, who retired, to assist him Simmonds could be overused. Clarke would give the Tigers a player who can backup Simmonds in the ruck, and Simmonds could also be used as a forward more if needed.
The Saints should be picking a "Clark" at pick 7. Matthew Clarke will probably be there and will be a welcome addition to a team that undervalued the importance of ruckmen in recent seasons. But if he is gone then Clark Keating is another viable option.
FB H O'Brien, A Grover, P Walsh
HB M Firrito, J Graham, J Roe
C M Nicoski, H Skipworth, L Webster
HF K Green, L Vogels, S Milne
FF A Lovett, K Kingsley, M Jamar
Foll T Knobel, A Bentick, C Stiller
bench A Carrazzo, J Thurgood, B Beams, D Johnson
emergency: A Edwards, S Phillips
Over the next two days the All-AFL Rookie Draft First and Second Teams will also be posted. All these teams are made up of players who were taken in the AFL Rookie Drafts over the past decade or so. All of these players were missed in the National Drafts and were taken in a Rookie Draft. Some players were redrafted by teams that had previously delisted them. Some of the players here were drafted in more than one rookie draft, and by more than one team.
Carlton’s Christmas List:
Not to be on the cover of the newspaper, unless it is for winning.
It has been bad news, bad news, and then some more bad news at Princes Park. Even the good news of their draft was overshadowed by the Mal Michael going to Essendon story. If there is something Carlton fans would like over the offseason it has to be less stories about the board, the coach and the players' problems. Maybe a vow of silence is needed there.
There should be a good news story when their new captain is announced, but that could also go bad if there are still some dissenting voices among the players. The coach is getting to the end of his contract, so this could also cause problems, some there want to replace him while others are ready to extend his contract. David Cloke could be arriving soon, so the media will be waiting to quote him if his son doesn't play.
Carlton has to decide if they are going to be naughty or nice, the Christmas wish from their supporters is that they would prefer they were nice. But it could be another long season of discontent at Princes Park. Maybe other things on their Christmas list are finding a consistent second forward option, and Kennedy or Waite might be the answer, as well as wishing for a better backline, but there is hope with O'hAilpin and Bower. But showing team unity, at least to the public, is the main thing Carlton fans will be hoping for.
From the Australian Olympic Committee, here is a story about Aussie Rules at the Olympics in 1956.
Some names that today are well known played in that game, so have a look through both the team lists, including the emergencies.
Maybe there was a discussion during trade week when Collingwood offered Carlton Cameron Cloke and Carlton put Chris Bryan on the trading block too. Both teams probably said "no way" to the deal. Yet if these players are taken in the preseason draft then effectively they will have been traded for each other.
Odd occurrences like this have happened before. When Sydney took Maxfield as an uncontracted player the Tigers drafted Gaspar, they were not actually traded for each other officially, but they did both trade places.
There seems to be a lot more sense behind Bryan going to Collingwood, than for C Cloke going to Carlton. Collingwood need another ruckman, and Bryan has some experience at AFL level but he still has plenty of years ahead of him. With his big boot and ability to also play as a forward he can help Collingwood in 2007.
The Blues will use their first preseason pick to take Ackland, as they already have Dylan McLaren it would seem they have enough undersized ruckmen already. Cameron Cloke only played a couple of games last season for 7 hitouts, but maybe the ruck isn't where Carlton would put him.
That means a tall spot at either end might be the plan if Carlton do actually draft Cameron Cloke. The forward line has Fevola, Waite and Kennedy so Cloke wouldn't fit there. Maybe they want Whitnall forward too. Cloke in the backline is an option, and he would provide some strength to help out O'hAilpin, Thornton and Bower.
If Carlton are after a tall defender in the preseason draft then the players that Essendon delisted would be an option too, Aaron Henneman, Austin Lucy or Joel Reynolds. One of the Schwarze boys, or Travis Gaspar, are other options. But Cameron Cloke might have more potential than any of those players.
Pagan likes to take on reclamation projects. He had a lot of success with Martin Pike, so giving Cameron Cloke another chance isn't that big a deal compared to drafting Pike.
Carlton will probably have the last pick for the preseason draft at pick 9, as well as the first pick to take Ackland. Maybe they take Cameron Cloke and everyone will find out on Tuesday morning. But it would be an odd sight next season, with the original Clokeing Device, father David, in the stands supporting Carlton.
When selecting a team for AFL Fantasy you always want to sign players who are just about to go to the next level. If you have some second year players on your team then some of them will have a breakout season. For fantasy leagues they will often double in value during the season as they become regular contributors for their AFL teams.
An easy way to find players is to check the drafts from a year ago. Melbourne found a couple of players in the 2005 draft who became regular players for the Demons in their first year. Nathan Jones and Clint Bartram should keep improving, and if they don't cost too much they might be worth a spot on your fantasy team.
The Magpies also have a couple of players from the 2005 draft who should have big fantasy seasons in 2007. Dale Thomas and Scott Pendlebury should both benefit from the youth movement at Collingwood.
Hawthorn had a lot of high draft picks in the 2005 AFL draft but fantasy managers would have only played Birchall last season. Birchall will be a player to sign again for 2007.
The highest-priced second year player in fantasy leagues next season is likely to be Marc Murphy. He should be worth whatever it costs and will be a big possession winner.
Richard Douglas, Andrew Swallow and Mitchell Clark also showed some fantasy potential last season. While a couple of players from the preseason draft also had a good start to their AFL and fantasy league careers, Jason Porplyzia and Matthew White. Even rookie draft players from a year ago made an impact in fantasy in 2006 and will be even better in 2007. Brisbane have plenty of playing time for Cheynee Stiller and Jason Roe, while Matthew Priddis and Tom Logan have also been elevated to the main list by their AFL teams.
Of course there are also players who didn't do a lot last season but in their second year on an AFL list they could do a lot more. Ellis and Varcoe are players to watch from the 2005 draft, they could be bargains as they are yet to play a game. Dowler, Ryder, Kennedy, Hughes, Hooper, Gamble and Stokes should also be considered for a spot on a fantasy bench.
For fantasy leagues last season, Brett Delidio, Ryan Griffen, Jordan Lewis, Matthew Bate, Angus Monfries, Dean Polo, Lance Franklin and Matthew Rosa were among the players from the 2004 AFL draft who elevated their games and provided plenty of fantasy points.
Brisbane's Christmas List:
Peace and quiet, and some time to develop the young players.
The Lions didn't even play in the finals but they were a big news story in September, but even the end of the season wasn't the end of the headlines for the Lions. Akermanis, Voss and Michael all had their share of the back page. All three are officially gone now and Brisbane would like to focus on the future.
They would like next season to be free of controversy so the team can get a fresh start. There was always going to be a rock bottom for the Lions after winning three premierships and they probably have hit it.
The Lions are starting all over again, they have Brown and will need to build around him. Like Hird in 1993 or Kernahan in 1987, Brown won early in his career but if he wins again it will be with many new players around him. It took Hird seven years to win again, Kernahan waited eight years, and if Brown and the Lions are going to get back to the top it will take many years.
The talls there will require the most patience. It seems that everyone is there for the long haul, especially their coach, and this will help in developing the players. Leuenberger, Proud and Schmidt from the 2006 draft, as well as Clark from 2005, will be important players in the future.
Except for the week leading up to their round 11 clash against the Bulldogs, the Lions should be out of the media spotlight and able to concentrate on developing their team. Other items on the Lions' Christmas list would be Brown playing all 22 games next season, and although it is a rebuilding year for the Lions and they may not win a lot of games they will at least want wins against the Bombers and Bulldogs.
Adelaide's Christmas List:
Someone to kick goals, and everyone healthy for September.
The Crows have been contenders ever since they changed coaches but a Grand Final has eluded them. Coach Craig needs a few more goals, and a bit of luck with injuries, and 2007 could be Adelaide's year.
Maybe the first wish on their list has already been taken care of. They signed Scott Welsh to a new contract and drafted big forwards Sellar, Tippett and Gill. Ricciuto, Burton and Bode are also going to kick plenty of goals next season, and although they will miss Hentschel up forward they still have Perrie and McGregor.
But they could use someone who will kick over 50 goals in 2007. If Ricciuto is healthy and plays every game as their full forward then he should be the answer. That is also the second part of their Christmas wish, the health of their stars.
When Ricciuto, Burton and McLeod missed games towards the end of season 2006 it was always going to hurt the Crows chances for the AFL Premiership. A team can lose one star and still win, and the Crows did that in 1997 when Ricciuto missed the Grand Final, but it gets a bit tough when several stars are out.
The Crows didn't just lose players at the most important time of the season in 2006, they lost the players they needed to kick winning scores. They have already lost Hentschel for 2007 so they really need to have Ricciuto and Burton make it through the regular season unscathed.
Adelaide will also hope their ruckmen make it to September as well. Hudson and Maric will need to carry the load next season with Biglands out and Clarke gone. Hudson will want to be like Rehn when it comes to winning for Adelaide, but he won't want to be like Rehn when it comes to multiple knee injuries.
The Crows will have to wait nine months to see if they did get what they needed, and if all their stars are firing then the Crows could be celebrating their third AFL Premiership.
Over the next 16 days of Christmas there will be a story about what would be at the top of all the AFL teams' Christmas lists.
1 Carlton: C Ackland
2 Essendon: M Michael
3 Kangaroos: H Skipworth
4 Port Adelaide: T Hurley
5 Hawthorn: B Ross
6 Richmond: N Batsanis
7 St. Kilda: C Keating
8 Collingwood: C Bryan
Carlton passed at pick 81 of the AFL National Draft, and they also delisted Bryan recently, so they could have another preseason pick. The Saints also passed with their three late picks, but they have said they only intend to take one player in the preseason draft. So the picks below may, or more likely may not, be used.
9 Carlton: T Cartledge
10 St. Kilda: B Hart
11 St. Kilda: T Roach
Delisted players have until tomorrow to nominate for the preseason draft, the draft will take place on December 12.
Carlton and Essendon have already decided on Ackland and Michael. The Kangaroos, Power and Hawks could add younger players. Skipworth could be a chance to be drafted by the Kangaroos or Power. Richmond may take Kingsley with their pick, or opt for another young midfielder. But if Clarke really does nominate for the preseason draft then Richmond might take him. Not just to annoy the Saints, although that might be one result, but Clarke would fill some of Stafford's role and Clarke was originally a Richmond player at the start of his career.
The Saints are the team that should make a big move in the preseason draft, by adding a solid veteran who can help them in September. Maybe they are getting Matthew Clarke out of retirement, but he hasn't been very successful when it comes to the September action. One thing that could make Clarke the pick is that he and Ross Lyon did play together for the Brisbane Bears just over a decade ago, Keating was also on the Bears list then but not playing AFL. Clark Keating would help them immensely and he has the Grand Final medals to prove it, while Ben Hart would also bring experience to the team.
Collingwood were looking at Bryan, he would be a good option to backup Fraser. While Collingwood did draft talls in the AFL National Draft they didn't take a ruck prospect. So as Collingwood also said they want a younger player in the preseason draft that would mean someone like Bryan, Cartledge or maybe Sam Jacobs. The Magpies also have the option of bringing back one of the Clokes, but that does not seem to be their plan.
The Adelaide Crows had a clear strategy for the AFL National Draft, get as many tall forwards as they could. They were very lucky to have Sellar drop to them at pick 14, they drafted another big forward prospect at pick 32 with Kurt Tippett. These players have a lot of potential but could need several seasons to develop. The Adelaide Crows are built to win now, and they used pick 64 on Nick Gill who will provide immediate help in their forward line. Nick Gill talked to aflinsider.net about his time with the Melbourne Demons, how he improved his game with North Adelaide of the SANFL and his expectations now he is an Adelaide Crow.
"I could imagine that anyone from my tenure with Melbourne would be surprised to see me back in the game. Back then I was as heavy as a paperweight and had the football confidence of a small child on a ghost train", Gill said. Nick Gill was on Melbourne's list in 2001, and next season he will have the chance to play against some of his former teammates like White, Green and Brown. Scott Thompson was also playing for Melbourne in 2001, and Gill will now be playing alongside him with the Crows.
One former teammate at the Demons who Gill won't get the chance to go against is the retired David Schwarz, but Nick Gill will use some of the things that the big Melbourne forward taught him. "He actually taught me some great things that I still use extensively today. For example he was a great teacher of the 'block' in the forward line, which I assume is from basketball experience he has. It's something that has come in very handy at times and something I have passed on to some other youngsters along the way", Gill said.
Gill would play in the VFL, and was also on the Kangaroos' list, but it was with North Adelaide that he got the opportunity to show he could star. Gill said, "I've now been playing in what has been described as a 'man's league' and as a result have developed personally both physically and mentally. This has been pushed along well by all the boys at North and the amazing culture they have managed to create down at North and of course the coaches, Andrew and Darren Jarman in particular who have believed in and developed me."
Gill kicked 47 goals last season and the Crows are going to need him to continue to kick goals as they will be without Trent Hentschel. The Crows play a very versatile forward line with three or four tall options, as well as Ricciuto, Bode and Burton. Gill will likely be played around the half forward area. Nick Gill said, "I think that my role for the Crows, were I to play, would be as a third, or back-up, tall forward, perhaps assisting the likes of Perrie and Welsh".
But the Crows might change things from last season so Gill at full forward might be something they try. If he and Burton were both played in the goalsquare the marking contests would be very exciting for Crows' fans. The Crows have all summer to work on the structure of their forward line so fans will have to wait for the preseason games to find out where Nick Gill plays. Nick Gill said, "Having only been there for a few days, I'm still earning a lot of the processes and roles that the Crows have in place".
While Nick Gill should entertain on the field next season, and is a chance for a mark of the round, he may also be entertaining off the field. Gill previously wrote about his time with North Adelaide and this was published on their internet site. Gill said, "Writing is something I really enjoy and would like to continue to do it in some capacity". So you might see Nick Gill's reports on afc.com.au next season, if the Crows want to add something extra to their internet site.
One thing that is on the Crows official site is a poll for their top goal-scorer next season. Welsh, Ricciuto and Burton are just ahead of Gill, with Bock and McGregor behind him for the poll results.
Gill will be wearing number one for the Crows next season. That was the number that Greg Anderson, and his big hair, made memorable in the early years of the Crows. The Crows of the early 1990s, and the Crows of today, couldn't make it to the last day in September. But the Crows have added help to their forward line, and in 2007 Nick Gill could be playing on the MCG with Ricciuto and the Crows for the AFL Premiership.
There has been a long line of forwards that the Tigers have teamed with Richardson. The right combination has not been found yet, but Jack Riewoldt could be the player to change that.
In the past 20 years the Tigers have not had a lot of success, but since 1993 they have had one of the tallest and quickest forwards around. Matthew Richardson teamed successfully with Gale, Naish and Daffy in those early days of his career. But it wasn't enough for the Tigers to win consistently.
So the Tigers tried tall forwards next to Richardson, short forwards, quick forwards, resting ruckmen, but nothing worked very well. The Tigers did have some success in the mid 90s and that was when they added another tall forward to their structure. Stuart Edwards or Stephen Jurica were sometimes played with Richardson in the goalsquare. If Richardson went on one of his long leads, the Tigers still had a marking option deep in their forward area.
During the Richardson years the Tigers have tried many other tall forwards like Stevan Jackson, Justin Plapp, Ben Holland and currently Jay Schulz. Some ruckmen/forward types have also been used like Brad Ottens, Ben Marsh and Greg Stafford.
The Tigers have also moved a skilful player from another part of the ground to help Richardson. Joel Bowden can play in plenty of spots but has played many games as a forward. Mark Merenda, Matthew Rogers and Rory Hilton were also played as a forward in past years.
The Tigers also went small around Richardson. Naish and Daffy were the best at that role, but Andrew Krakouer and Nathan Brown might be able to succeed in that role next season. In the past the Tigers put some of their midfielders in the forward line, as well as small forwards like David Rodan and Ashley Blurton.
One player who started for the Tigers around the same time that Richardson did was Justin Murphy. When he first debuted for the Tigers it seemed he would be a star in the forward line for them but it didn’t work. At the opposite end of a player's career was Paul Hudson when he had a brief appearance in the yellow and black.
So the Tigers have around 14 years of mixing around their forwards to find a system that would work with Richardson. With Jack Riewoldt the Tigers might finally have found the player to help Richardson, and Richmond, succeed.
A forward line with Richardson and Riewoldt having all of the 50m area to themselves would be hard to stop. Krakouer and Brown could be played further out from goal, and crumb off the contests that the two big forwards create. Simmonds also can get forward so another tall may not be needed there on a full-time basis, although Richmond do have some options there if needed too.
Time is running out for Richardson, but his best chance to win could be next season as he is teamed with another high-marking Tasmanian in the forward line. Those two should provide plenty of thrills for the Richmond crowd to roar for, and if Richardson and Riewoldt are able to play together and combine for over a hundred goals then the Tigers could be a surprise team in the September action in 2007.
The rookie draft is next week, and while the expectations on these players are not very high, history shows that there should be a couple of draftees from the rookie draft who will play in an AFL Premiership.
One team that has been successful with rookie picks is Essendon, and the trivia question is to name the players Essendon acquired through the rookie draft who played in their 2000 AFL Premiership team.
1 Carlton: Dylan McLaren
2 Collingwood: Sam Iles
3 Hawthorn: Brent Guerra
4 Essendon: Scott Camporeale
5 Richmond: Matthew White
6 Brisbane: Ben Fixter
7 Kangaroos: Cameron Thurley
8 Port Adelaide: Matt Thomas
9 Adelaide: Jason Porplyzia
10 Essendon: Chris Heffernan
The 2005 AFL Preseason Draft provided teams with useful players but not the uncontracted stars that have been acquired in previous preseason drafts. McLaren and Iles certainly didn't have the salaries that Rawlings and Stevens had when they were preseason picks.
Like they are expected to do again with Mal Michael, the Bombers a year ago went with the older players. As Essendon finished second last the additions of Camporeale and Heffernan didn't help much. But they could be useful players next season, as long as Lloyd is there for them to kick to.
Porplyzia and Guerra might have been the best picks in last year's preseason draft. Porplyzia was a solid player for the Crows last season. Guerra joined his third AFL team and was consistent for Hawthorn.
Fixter wasn't getting a game for the Swans, but that changed when he joined the Lions and he was one of their few healthy players for the season. White, Thomas and Iles also played senior games with their teams. The Kangaroos delisted Thurley after he played a small number of games last season.
Dylan McLaren was behind French for most of season 2006. French is gone now, as is Chris Bryan, so McLaren is a chance to play all the games next season. His main competition for the number one ruck spot at Carlton will be another preseason pick, Cain Ackland who the Blues have agreed to draft.
The 2006 preseason draft should be similar to the 2005 one. Carlton go first and take another hard-working, but undersized, ruckman. Essendon select a player who has won a Grand Final, but possibly their best days are far behind them. The rest of the teams will draft players who will play a few games next season but won't have a big impact, except maybe the player the Saints take and they could be valuable for them next September.
If you pencil in Ackland to Carlton at pick one, and Mal Michael to Essendon at pick two, it is the Kangaroos who have the first "live" pick in the preseason draft. They have not announced who they are after, or what position they look to address, and they have just over a week to decide.
The preseason draft should have some good rucks to choose from, but this is not something the Kangaroos need to consider. Even with Hale forward, and Petrie back, the Kangaroos still have McIntosh and Hale to play in the ruck. They also drafted Goldstein in the AFL National Draft. So the Kangaroos are unlikely to select Keating, Bryan or Clarke if he is making a comeback.
An older player would seem to be out of the running for their pick as well. As they delisted Makepeace the Kangaroos are not going to replace him with an older player like Hart or Kellaway.
Maybe another Crows' player that was delisted is an option for the Kangaroos. Hayden Skipworth would bolster the midfield depth of the Kangaroos. Skipworth would be able to give the Kangaroos over 100 games, so he has plenty to offer the Kangaroos. But if they really wanted him maybe they would have traded for him during the AFL trade week. Hawthorn also delisted some onballers who might interest the Kangaroos in the preseason draft, Nick Ries and Matthew Ball. Tom Roach is another player for them to consider.
The preseason draft might have one of the Clokes getting another chance, but they wouldn't be expected to go to the Kangaroos. They drafted Hansen as well as Edwards and they should be new additions at each end of the ground in round 1, so there isn't a spot for one of the Clokes.
The Kangaroos could also take a player from another league. There are plenty of prospects in the VFL, SANFL and WAFL.
The Kangaroos might also look to the Queensland league for their preseason pick. Not only is the talent available from Queensland at an all-time high, but with the Kangaroos playing home games in Queensland some more local representation would also benefit them. Selecting a player from Broadbeach could be a good move by the Kangaroos.
Last season the Kangaroos drafted Cameron Thurley with their preseason pick.
The preseason draft doesn't have the excitement that it used to, when there were a lot more picks and players like Brereton, Roos and even Watson. But the Kangaroos might surprise everyone on December 12 when they make their pick in the preseason draft.
With the draft completed, teams can review the trades they made as well as the trades they didn't make to see how they went. The pick that Collingwood received for Tarrant became Reid, while the Lions turned Akermanis into Schmidt. One trade that didn't get done was Thornton to Hawthorn. The reported offer was picks 24 and 33.
Carlton kept Thornton and Hawthorn drafted Renouf and Morton. Hawthorn are happy with their picks, but they won't help next season like Thornton could have. Carlton will have Thornton in their backline again, but maybe two more picks in the "super draft" would have been better for the future.
If Hawthorn did have Thornton they would be adding a defensive player with close to 100 games of experience. With Roughead, Croad and a healthy Jacobs the Hawks would be very competitive in the backline. If Carlton had Renouf and Morton, they would have two youngsters who are both able to play in the backline, but of course their impact would be a few years away.
Collingwood were looking at Steve Johnson during trade week. It might have been pick 28 that went to Geelong for Johnson. Johnson definitely would have improved Collingwood's team next season. As Collingwood didn't do the trade they were able to draft Chris Dawes, he won't be playing next season as he recovers from injury but in a few years he could be Collingwood's centre half forward. Geelong still have Johnson and he could have a big season in the forward line for them in 2007. If Hawkins is firing, and Chapman and G Ablett keep dominating, then Johnson could take advantage if the opposition overlook him. Maybe Geelong could have used Dawes too, as he would have provided another big body in Geelong's future forward line.
Jason Johnson might have been a Saint if they were willing to move their first rounder, of course the Saints didn't do that and ended up drafting Armitage. A second round pick might have been a fair trade offer for Johnson, the Saints went with Howard there, but if the Bombers had the pick they could have also considered Collard, Tippett or Schmidt.
Skipworth going to the Kangaroos was another trade that didn't go through in trade week. It would have cost the Kangaroos a low draft pick, so if they did do they trade they would have missed out on drafting Aaron Edwards, Ben Warren or Lindsay Thomas. The Crows definitely would have liked to also add Thomas in the draft if they had the extra pick.
The Power did look at Jordan Russell during trade week. Pick 39 would have seemed like a fair deal if it was accepted during trade week. But the Power turned pick 39 into Nathan Krakouer so this might be a case of the trades a team doesn't make are better than those they do.
Bradshaw was a player the Cats wanted during trade week and it would have cost them an early pick. The Cats wouldn't trade their first rounder for Bradshaw, and they got one of the best players in the draft with Selwood there. Pick 25 might have been something that interested Brisbane, and if Geelong had sent that pick away for Bradshaw then the Lions could have added Petterd, or even taken the player Geelong drafted which was Djerrkura. To be competitive next season the Lions did have to keep Bradshaw so they are happy with that. The Cats might have missed out on a star forward for next season, but by keeping their picks they did add a couple of youngsters who will help turn their team around.
Later in the week the trades that were completed will be looked at, with how the drafted players changed the success of the trades. Solomon and O'Brien were traded for Houli and Reimers, the Saints got Gardiner and Allen for the price of Tim Houlihan and there is also the big three-team trade that added Reid to Collingwood and Riewoldt to Richmond.
Summers would be very different for Australia if a footballer for the Saints had kicked a few more goals back in the late 1980s.
Shane Warne didn't make it at Moorabbin, which was a big bonus for Australian cricket.
From the Football Record, here is a look at the scores for the round 11 Under 19 game between Footscray and St Kilda. Warne was the only multiple-goalkicker for his team that day, while the Bulldogs have a couple of players that went to senior football. There are also some of the players listed for their reserve team. While Warne would become famous for a different sport, there is also another future star on the list.
From The Football Record 1988
From The Football Record 1988
This edition of the Football Record also shows how different the game and the VFL was to the present day. While 3AW were still around then, their advertisement doesn't just list their commentary team of "Beitzel, Jacobs, Barassi and Lahiff" but also mentions they would cover the "punches" and "blind umpires" for the game during their show. Two full-page advertisements for cigarettes, Robert Scott saying Cheers is the TV show he watches and the back cover announcing Elders IXL sponsorship of the 1988 VFL Premiership Season are some other things you wouldn't see today.
Draft Table Talk:
The Bulldogs will be waiting several years for the players they just drafted. They did already bring in players to help next season, Akermanis and McDougall, so they didn't need to target the more mature players in the draft. Since they were going for potential Everitt with their first rounder was a good choice. Not only does he have the height that the Bulldogs want, but for his size he is also a quick player so that suits the Bulldogs style of play.
The Bulldogs had a bit of a gap between their first two picks, their second selection for the draft was pick 45. They went for a tall backman at 11, so a small forward here gave them balance with their picks. They took Stack but Robert Gray might have been another small forward they considered.
The next two picks were both in the 60s. More forwards were selected. Both Hill and Lynch are quick, which seems to be a prerequisite for most Bulldogs additions.
When the pick is late teams should gamble on a youngster with potential and O'Shea was the result for the Bulldogs at pick 76.
2006 Draft vs 2005 Draft:
Montgomery was a good pick in the 2005 draft, at pick 55 it didn't cost a lot and he helped them last season, especially in the first final they played. The early picks in 2005 were Higgins and Addison. Everitt should become a better player than either of them, and Everitt is also how the 2006 draft will be judged for the Bulldogs. If Everitt bulks up and becomes the versatile player they think he can become then the 2006 draft will be a much greater success than the 2005 draft for the Western Bulldogs.
Player: Pick 11 Andrejs Everitt, 193cm 77kg (Dandenong)
Comparison: Craig Ellis
ETA: 2008
Possible position: Tall Defender, Midfielder
Player: Pick 45 Brennan Stack, 184cm 76kg (Perth)
Comparison: Matthew Robbins
ETA: 2008
Possible position: Small Forward
Player: Pick 61 Josh Hill, 186cm 72kg (Claremont)
Comparison: Cameron Faulkner
ETA: 2009
Possible position: Small Forward, Small Defender
Player: Pick 66 Malcolm Lynch, 178cm 65kg (NSW/ACT Rams)
Comparison: Steven Kolyniuk
ETA: 2009
Possible position: Small Forward
Player: Pick 76 Paul O'Shea, 192cm 82kg (Redlands)
Comparison: Simon Cox
ETA: 2009
Possible position: Tall Forward, Tall Defender
Draft Table Talk:
The Eagles were going big in this draft, and at pick 16 the choice may have been Brown or MacKenzie. Brown will be a backup for Hansen and Lynch.
The Eagles might have been shocked to see big MacKenzie still there at pick 29, there obviously wasn't much of a decision to make. He could be as good, or better, than Brown.
Eagles still went tall with their next pick, but Houlihan isn't a prospect for a key post.
Their final two picks were more key position players. But with the depth that the Eagles have there, it will be a long wait for Schofield and Thomson.
2006 Draft vs 2005 Draft:
The 2006 draft for the Eagles is hard to beat, and it clearly outclassed the 2005 draft that brought in Hurn, McKinley and Spangher. Brown and MacKenzie should join Hurn and play a few games next season, but it will be difficult for them to get a regular spot as the Eagles are loaded with star players.
Player: Pick 16 Mitchell Brown, 193cm 90kg (North Ballarat)
Comparison: Mitchell White
ETA: Later Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Tall Forward
Player: Pick 29 Eric MacKenzie, 196cm 91kg (Claremont)
Comparison: Ashley McIntosh
ETA: Later Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Tall Defender
Player: Pick 43 Tim Houlihan, 189cm 74kg (North Ballarat)
Comparison: Andrew Donnelly
ETA: 2008
Possible position: Medium Defender
Player: Pick 50 Will Schofield, 195cm 82kg (Geelong Falcons)
Comparison: Travis Gaspar
ETA: 2009
Possible position: Tall Defender
Player: Pick 80 James Thomson, 194cm 81kg (Claremont)
Comparison: Brendon Fewster
ETA: 2009
Possible position: Tall Defender
Draft Table Talk:
With Williams retired, and Spriggs delisted too, an onballer with pick 15 was expected. O'Keefe was the player they picked, over other small options like Jetta, Hislop and Proud. O'Keefe has good foot skills, can get into open space and also go forward to kick a goal so he is a good fit for the Swans. There was talk before the draft that Jetta was the pick for Sydney but that didn't happen.
Pick 33 was traded for Everitt, and they also added another ruckman when they drafted Currie at 49. Currie will bulk up over the next few years and is an investment for the future.
The Swans' final two picks went on key position prospects. Faulks is an athletic player, while White provides a bigger and stronger option.
2006 Draft vs 2005 Draft:
The Swans traded a first rounder in 2005 to acquire Ted Richards, it was a good trade for them. In 2006 the Swans only parted with a second rounder for Everitt. A year earlier they acquired Chambers for their second round pick. The Swans only had three picks in 2005, all in the 50s. So 2006 was a much better draft for the Swans, O'Keefe should play next season and in a few years one or two of the talls that the Swans took should also be a regular player for the Swans.
Player: Pick 15 Daniel O'Keefe, 184cm 74kg (Geelong Falcons)
Comparison: Matthew Nicks
ETA: Middle Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Midfielder
Player: Pick 49 Daniel Currie, 200cm 91kg (Northern Knights)
Comparison: John Ironmonger
ETA: 2009
Possible position: Ruckman
Player: Pick 65 Peter Faulks, 192cm 74kg (Calder)
Comparison: Troy Luff
ETA: 2008
Possible position: Tall Defender
Player: Pick 79 Jesse White, 196cm 101kg (Southport)
Comparison: Ryan O'Connor
ETA: Later Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Tall Forward, Tall Defender
Draft Table Talk:
Ross Lyon knows Sydney won due to their midfield dominance, and the Saints will benefit as Lyon brings his ideas to the Saints and tweaks their list and gameplan. Acquiring Gardiner and Birss in trade week will help them in the middle next season, and with their first two picks in the draft they went for more midfielders. Armitage, Hislop and O'Keefe would have been options at pick 9. Armitage is a bit quicker so the Saints picked him.
The Saints might have been getting ready to pick Shane Edwards in the second round, but Richmond took him one pick before the Saints selection, so they went with Howard who is another fast option for the midfield.
The Saints would have had a bit of a discussion for who to pick at 9 and 27, but when Jarryd Allen was still available at pick 59 it was an easy pick to make.
The Saints said they were always bringing back Ferguson, and then they passed on their remaining selections. They didn't take a veteran ruckman, like Keating, but there is a chance they take him, or another ruckman, in the preseason draft.
2006 Draft vs 2005 Draft:
The Saints traded for Watts last season, that cost them their first round pick. The players that the Saints did take in the 2005 draft, which included Rix and Gilbert, were mainly tall players. The 2006 draft addressed the midfield more, although they did also get another quality tall in Allen. For a new coach, who only arrived during the trade week, they have done very well in bringing in new players and filling needs.
Player: Pick 9 David Armitage, 184cm 80kg (Morningside)
Comparison: Jason Cripps
ETA: Early Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Midfielder
Player: Pick 27 Brad Howard, 181cm 72kg (Redlands)
Comparison: Brad Campbell
ETA: 2008
Possible position: Midfielder
Player: Pick 59 Jarryd Allen, 193cm 88kg (Calder)
Comparison: Luke Penny
ETA: Middle Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Tall Forward, Tall Defender
Player: Pick 74 Matthew Ferguson, 187cm 87kg (St Kilda)
Comparison: Mark Gamble
ETA: 2008
Possible position: Medium Defender
Draft Table Talk:
From all reports there wasn't any discussion for pick 13 when Riewoldt was still there. They might have briefly thought about Sellar or Mitchell Brown.
Edwards fits with the type of player Richmond want, so they were probably very happy to get him at 26.
They did send out a third rounder in the Polak trade, but might have taken Connors with that pick if they still had it. It didn't matter as he was there at 58.
The Tigers again went small and quick with their final two selections. So it was a taller player in round one, and then the usual Terry Wallace draft of smalls with the rest of their picks.
2006 Draft vs 2005 Draft:
Richmond only had 3 picks in 2005, all in the top 40. Oakley-Nicholls, Hughes and Casserly were their picks. The first three players that Richmond took in 2006 will have a bigger impact for Richmond next season than their 2005 draftees will. Hughes did show promise last season, but Riewoldt is a much better prospect.
Player: Pick 13 Jack Riewoldt, 192cm 86kg (Tassie Mariners)
Comparison: Jeff Hogg
ETA: Early Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Tall Forward
Player: Pick 26 Shane Edwards, 180cm 69kg (North Adelaide)
Comparison: Chris Bond
ETA: Middle Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Midfielder
Player: Pick 58 Daniel Connors, 183cm 79kg (Bendigo)
Comparison: John Rombotis
ETA: Middle Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Midfielder
Player: Pick 60 Carl Peterson, 183cm 70kg (Claremont)
Comparison: Ashley Blurton
ETA: 2009
Possible position: Midfielder, Small Forward
Player: Pick 73 Andrew Collins, 184cm 71kg (Bendigo)
Comparison: Marc Dragicevic
ETA: 2009
Possible position: Midfielder
Draft Table Talk:
The Power did produce the first shock of the draft when they took Boak over Selwood and Thorp. Boak's running ability might have been what Port wanted.
The Power also went against draft predictions by taking Stewart with their next pick. If they were after just a key position player then they would have taken someone like MacKenzie here, so maybe the Power are going to try Stewart on a wing, as well as a forward option.
The next pick was great, and the Power took Krakouer lower in the draft than many expected him to go. If there is a team that can get the best out of a small forward it is Port Adelaide and in a season or two Krakouer could be a star.
They already had Krakouer so it seemed a bit odd to take another small forward with their next pick, although Gray is a good prospect. There was still midfield help like Moss, Hurley and Connors still available.
Westhoff gives them another tall prospect on their list. A good pick so late in the draft.
Williams at 83 could be a useful pick, the Power have lost some of their smaller defender in recent years and they might try Williams in the backline.
The last player taken in the draft was Rodan. He should score a few goals next season.
2006 Draft vs 2005 Draft:
Last year's draft didn't do a lot for the Power. Lower played a small number of games, but the Power also traded away a pick from the 2005 draft for Nathan Lonie and he played most of the season. In 2006 the Power didn't trade but they did have a lot of delistings and retirements. They used 7 picks, and passed on their last one. The 2005 draft for the Power brought in plenty of height, and in 2006 while the Power did draft a couple of tall prospects, most of their picks went on smalls. The Power said that the 2006 draft provided them with the running players that they needed.
Player: Pick 5 Travis Boak, 183cm 76kg (Geelong Falcons)
Comparison: Michael Wilson
ETA: Middle Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Midfielder
Player: Pick 23 Paul Stewart, 190cm 82kg (Woodville-West Torrens)
Comparison: Nigel Fiegert
ETA: 2008
Possible position: Tall Forward
Player: Pick 39 Nathan Krakouer, 182cm 61kg (Claremont)
Comparison: Danyle Pearce
ETA: 2008
Possible position: Small Forward
Player: Pick 55 Robert Gray, 182cm 82kg (Oakleigh)
Comparison: Brett Ebert
ETA: 2008
Possible position: Small Forward
Player: Pick 71 Justin Westhoff, 199cm 83kg (Central Districts)
Comparison: Ryan Willits
ETA: 2009
Possible position: Centre Half Forward
Player: Pick 83 Ryan Williams, 188cm 89kg (Geelong Falcons)
Comparison: Paul Koulouriotis
ETA: 2009
Possible position: Medium Defender
Player: Pick 86 David Rodan, 171cm 83kg (Richmond)
Comparison: Josh Mahoney
ETA: Later Rounds of 2007
Possible position: Small Forward
More Posts
2162 Posts dating from January 2006
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
Add Comments
Comments (2)
