Saverio Rocca had a few struggles as he started his NFL punting career but he is now launching them like he was expected to. Week 8 was his best performance yet. Rocca went for 65 yards in his last game, that is a good sign of what he can do.
Rocca's Eagles are at 3 wins and 4 losses, while the season is nearly over for the New York Jets and Graham will be punting a lot as their offense isn't great, the Jets are 1 and 7. The Cowboys are on the way to the NFL playoffs, they have won 6 of their first 7 games.
1: Geelong Cats (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
The glass isn't just half full for some of these top 8 teams, at Geelong it is overflowing. They will stay up the top of the Power Rankings for a long time.
2: Collingwood Magpies (2)
Brisbane had an extra ruckman and needed a pick to send to Melbourne, the Magpies had a need for a big ruckman and could afford to trade their pick. It was a good trade for all the teams involved, Collingwood might get the best of the deal if Wood plays to his potential.
3: Sydney Swans (3)
An odd trade week but they are still in good shape to win in 2008, and they have added several players already through rookie promotions and also their NSW scholarship player.
4: Hawthorn Hawks (4)
Not doing a lot but they didn't have to, as the hard work with trading and rebuilding was done a few years ago. Now they are being rewarded for it. Max Bailey, who missed all of 2007 with an injury, is someone to watch in 2008.
5: Port Adelaide Power (5)
They are trying to be like Geelong, as the Cats traded the player they added to the Grand Final team, King, and the Power also moved out Symes. The Power need some of their younger players to have big years and they will get to another Grand Final.
6: Brisbane Lions (7)
Travis Johnstone should be a big help for them in the middle next year, and although there are some risks the Lions didn't spend a lot to get him. Brennan is staying, Bradshaw will be back, Brisbane have a lot to look forward to.
7: West Coast Eagles (6)
One day there will be a time when they don't make the back page during offseason. Sampi is gone now, so that might be a good thing.
8: St Kilda Saints (9)
They must have had a coupon for trade week, two for the price of one. The Saints are the best chance for a team to have a bounce back year and do what Geelong did last season.
9: Fremantle Dockers (8)
Now for the glass is half empty teams, although it is even worse for some and there are only a few drops in the glass. The Dockers were bad last season but will have a very similar team for 2008. They also delisted some contracted players, which isn't the best move and it also indicates they must have missed with some of their recruiting. The Longmuir retirement is a big setback for them.
10: Kangaroos (10)
It seems odd, they are about to agree to relocate and very few people are making any noise. Ross Oakley is even involved, and there was a time when he felt the wrath of football supporters as he tried to kill a club or two. Oakley was reportedly a part of a "Gold Coast Advisory Group" that told the AFL to get the Kangaroos hopping North. All of this must be a disruption to the club's 2008 preparations. The ironic part, without the Kangaroos giving someone a chance as a footballer a couple of decades ago he would not be in a position to now kill them off.
11: Adelaide Crows (14)
Some interesting trades but mainly shuffling the deck chairs. Mattner became Symes while Meesen was turned into Moran. They also lost Hudson. It looks like 2008 could be a bad season for the Crows.
12: Carlton Blues (11)
They do have a lot of problems, and Judd may have actually jumped from the fire into the fry-pan. So the heat isn't off yet, but still it is a tad cooler. Carlton have some board problems, they don't have a big body in the forward line, their coach has never won a game, their full forward is still misbehaving and now they have their retired captain running around selling a book. The big story from the book was that some of the players there didn't like to kick the ball long because it might decrease their stats totals, but it might have helped the total wins increase.
13: Western Bulldogs (15)
Their supporters are getting impatient with the coach and the recruiting philosophy, and the draft will be their only chance to turn things around by finding some key forwards. Their past ineptness for drafting is also a reason why they are struggling now, some players that were taken with high picks include Walsh, Faulkner, Power, McMahon and Birss.
14: Essendon Bombers (12)
They are replacing Sheedy with a bunch of former players with very little coaching success. Coach Knights needs to bring in some old guys, who have had a few decades of coaching success, either at AFL level or in the lower leagues. Scott Camporeale is probably not up the top of the list for great football tacticians. Prescott played at Richmond with Knights, so he doesn't add a lot of new ideas.
15: Richmond Tigers (13)
Things were looking good for the Tigers until every single uncontracted player seemed to prefer to sign with their current team than to go to Richmond in the preseason draft. The Tigers need to get something done quickly.
16: Melbourne Demons (16)
It is the start of a rebuild that will take several seasons. They were losing when they had Johnstone, so losing without him will also happen, but they do have the extra first rounder and they should benefit from that in a few years.
Possible comparison: Shaun Hart and Marcus Ashcroft played an important part when the Lions were successful, they may have been some of their smaller players but they were never outhustled and didn't make many mistakes. Zorko is a player who will do the right thing, if he is played as a forward he will kick a goal or two and in the middle he will work to get the ball.
Why: He knows how to play the game, he is from their area and would be able to contribute next year.
Worth a reach: Brendan Whitecross, another of the quality players available from Queensland in the draft.
Hope they slide: James Mulligan, maybe Clark moves to a new team in a year or two and the Lions would be covered if they also had Mulligan on their list.
Selected at pick 41 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Tom Hawkins (Geelong father/son pick, tall forward)
40. Fremantle - Andrew Renton
Ruckman. 202cm, 94kg. Eastern/Croydon
Possible comparison: He has the size necessary for the ruck spot and is a solid player with his work around the ground, and can get back and help out the defenders, might be a prospect like Simon Taylor was.
Why: The Dockers have two huge ruckmen, and then close to nothing when it comes to ruck depth. Gilmore and Longmuir can be effective but they are both smaller ruckmen.
Worth a reach: Mitchell Farmer, it has nothing to do with his last name, selecting him would give them another small defender and with Walker gone their depth at that position isn't great.
Hope they slide: Luke Sampey, they can keep him in the WAFL until Tarrant is suspended or Longmuir is hurt.
Selected at pick 40 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Josh P Kennedy (Hawthorn father/son pick, medium forward/midfielder)
Possible comparison: Plenty of his family members could play a tall position in both the forward and back lines. More recently, McPhee is a marking player for either end of the ground.
Why: He is already locked in at this pick. The Bombers keep tradition alive at the club. They don't really need him at the moment, but he might get a few games as a defender as he waits until Lloyd and Lucas retire, then he can play forward which is probably his better position.
Selected at pick 39 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Nathan Krakouer (Port Adelaide, small forward/midfielder)
38. Adelaide - Tom McNamara
Medium Defender. 189cm, 84kg. South Adelaide/Happy Valley
Possible comparison: He kicks the ball well, and can take a mark but probably isn't really a key defender at AFL level, Torney was a player at the Crows with a similar game and height. If McNamara doesn't grow a bit taller, he could be used like Smart was as a backup option on taller forwards but mainly as an attacking player from the back half.
Why: The Crows always try to get the best of the local talent. They have also lost a few of the players who could run a bit from the back line and then kick long.
Worth a reach: Steven Browne, he may be gone before this selection, but if he isn't then the Crows might pick him for depth in the midfield and down back.
Hope they slide: Aaron Joseph, maybe he could take over from Edwards in the middle in a couple of years.
Selected at pick 38 in the 2006 AFL draft:
James Hawksley (Brisbane, medium defender)
Possible comparison: After a few years learning the game, he could possibly be used like Jeff White and other short but athletic ruckmen. He might also be suited to a spot at either end of the field, and might be a project for his team in a similar way that Setanta O'hAilpin was at Carlton.
Why: Everything seems to indicate that a move North will happen, so they are tapping into the local talent here. Firrito is a smaller full back so maybe Smouha could give them a bigger player there in the future.
Worth a reach: Dayne Zorko, he is a bit like Brent Harvey, not the biggest player but able to have a big influence on the game.
Hope they slide: Aaron Joseph, he could help Harris in the midfield at the Kangaroos.
Selected at pick 37 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Todd Goldstein (Kangaroos, ruckman)
35. Western Bulldogs - Will Sullivan
Ruckman. 202cm, 95kg. Western/Werribee
Possible comparison: He is a big and strong player in the ruck, like Will Minson or Jason Laycock, and he also has a few hidden skills like those two ruckmen do. While he may not seem to be the most agile ruckmen, he might surprise his new AFL team with more skills than they expected him to have.
Why: Darcy is gone, Hudson isn't a long-term answer for their ruck spot, adding another big ruck prospect in this draft is a good idea. Will the Bulldogs have a Will-Will ruck combo in a few years, they might.
Worth a reach: Darin Stewart, the Bulldogs could take another key position play with this pick. They could develop him as a defender to play against the quick-leading forwards of the AFL.
Hope they slide: Scott Simpson, the Bulldogs need all the tall forwards they can get in this draft.
Selected at pick 35 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Mark Austin (Carlton, tall defender/forward)
34. Geelong - James Mulligan
Tall Forward. 201cm, 96kg. Southport
Possible comparison: His best spot is at full forward, although he does have ruckman size, and he is a big target like Brad Ottens when he plays as a key forward. Not a lot of mobility but leads at the ball and if the kick is on target it is hard for a defender to get a spoil in.
Why: Somebody has to take the spot of Henry Playfair and Charlie Gardiner in their VFL team. The Cats do also need to plan for the future, and there will be a time in a few years when Mooney is gone, the Cats will have Hawkins and possibly teaming him with Mulligan would give them two big leading targets to kick to.
Worth a reach: Patrick Dangerfield, he could also be a good choice at this pick, Geelong like to take a local in the draft and they have been successful when drafting players like Ling.
Hope they slide: Dan McKenna, he would add depth and be a player to develop to replace Scarlett in the future.
Selected at pick 34 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Chris Schmidt (Brisbane, medium forward)
33. Port Adelaide - Scott Simpson
Tall Forward. 194cm, 91kg. Dandenong/Mt Eliza
Possible comparison: Damon White, he is a similar player who can accumulate marks around half forward, but Simpson might be a bit more versatile. While Simpson does his best work in the space around half forward, he should be able to also start in the goal-square with his leads.
Why: The Power could use one or two more taller forwards on their list, Tredrea will need to be replaced soon. Westhoff will need to be teamed with a forward with a stronger body and Simpson should develop into a well-built player.
Worth a reach: Patrick Dangerfield, he could replace Symes on their list as a running defender.
Hope they slide: Chris Kangars, Port Adelaide need a bit more height in the back half. Wakelin has retired, C Cornes spends more time in the middle now than he does at half back and Kangars could combine well with the running of Chaplin and Pettigrew.
Selected at pick 33 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Jarryd Morton (Hawthorn, tall forward)
32. Kangaroos - Dan McKenna
Tall Forward/Defender. 194cm, 82kg. Gippsland/Traralgon
Possible comparison: A tall for either end of the ground, like Patfull or Bock.
Why: The Kangaroos need more size in the defensive half, McKenna might help there and he can also play full forward if needed too. Archer is gone, Watt is inconsistent when it comes to stopping players, Firrito doesn't have a lot of height, the Kangaroos do need another defender who can play on the bigger forwards.
Worth a reach: James Mulligan, the Kangaroos could have a tall forward structure with the Queensland duo of Mulligan at full forward and David Hale at centre half forward.
Hope they slide: Marlon Motlop, the Kangaroos could use his skill and Motlop would be happy if the Kangaroos drafted him.
Selected at pick 32 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Kurt Tippett (Adelaide, tall forward/ruckman)
31. Collingwood - Aaron Joseph
Midfielder. 178cm, 75kg. Glenorchy
Possible comparison: Joseph works very well in traffic, and if he does land at Collingwood he could play the game like Burns and O'Bree do.
Why: Collingwood have everything under control, they traded their early pick to fix their ruck spot, they drafted a lot of key position help a year ago and now they need to bring in some midfielders. Joseph can play in the centre square, and he could be part of a new generation in the midfield there with big Wood and also Pendlebury.
Worth a reach: Ashley Hockey, the Magpies can move several of their defenders into the midfield, this could leave a spot in the back pocket for someone like Hockey.
Hope they slide: Ashley Arrowsmith, he could add some variety to their midfield and also up forward.
Selected at pick 31 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Clayton Collard (Fremantle, small forward/midfielder)
Possible comparison: Tom Williams was a similar tall athlete who was drafted as a big defender but also with the potential to play in the midfield.
Why: The Crows were a bit short at times in the back line, so they need to add another tall defender or two. Last season, the Crows did have to move some of their forwards to the back line, and against Franklin they went with the shorter Massie. Kangars would be an option with more height and much better running capability for when the Crows take on the league's big forwards.
Worth a reach: Luke Sampey, he could end up being a good replacement for Scott Welsh in the future.
Hope they slide: Dawson Simpson, trade week wasn't great for the Crows as they lost a couple of ruckmen and only gained one. Simpson would add to their ruck depth.
Selected at pick 30 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Ricky Petterd (Melbourne, midfielder/medium defender)
Possible comparison: A third or fourth tall forward option, he has great speed and could be a good compliment to a power forward in the goal-square. Rusling at Collingwood might be a useful comparison, as he provides the speed option next to the power of Rocca.
Why: Ben Dixon has retired, so the Hawks can bring in another tall/medium forward.
Worth a reach: James Polkinghorne, if the Hawks want to get back to being successful they will want to bring back some of the tradition they used to have, and by picking Polkinghorne it would make it more of a family club.
Hope they slide: Tony Notte, the players who might need longer to become AFL players can slide a bit in the draft, Hawthorn don't have immediate needs and would be a good spot for Notte to develop some of his Franklin-like abilities.
Selected at pick 29 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Eric Mackenzie (West Coast, tall defender)
28. Port Adelaide - Dawson Simpson
Ruckman. 205cm, 97kg. Murray/Barnawartha
Possible comparison: Dean Brogan, but bigger.
Why: The Power know the importance of having ruck depth, and they will have to make some moves to make sure they have players coming through who can play when Lade and Brogan retire in a few years. Simpson would give them another big body to develop into an intimidating ruckman.
Worth a reach: Dan McKenna, Port Adelaide want to find a tall forward or two and there will be plenty to choose from at picks 28 and also 33.
Hope they slide: Ashley Arrowsmith, it is very possible that he will be available at this pick, Arrowsmith could be a forward like Dew was for them and appear every now and then with a few match-winning goals, although not from as long a distance.
Selected at pick 28 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Chris Dawes (Collingwood, tall forward)
27. Adelaide - Sam Reid
Midfielder. 185cm, 75kg. Zillmere
Possible comparison: Maybe a bit like Aaron Fiora, an outside midfielder that can use the ball well.
Why: The Crows have yet to admit it, but they are going to go through a rebuilding phase soon. Players like Knights and van Berlo will take on a bigger role in the coming years, to replace the Crows' current veterans in the middle. Adelaide will need to add several onballers in the nest few drafts. Reid could be used in a variety of midfield spots, and also as a half back or half forward. Reid should be able to play at AFL level next year, and some injuries and retirements could open up a lot of playing time for him.
Worth a reach: Chris Kangars, he would add some athleticism to their back line, but he might also be available when Adelaide select again at pick 30.
Hope they slide: Tony Notte, they did add several tall forwards in last year's draft, but it wouldn't hurt drafting an athlete like Notte. The Crows will also be adding a medium forward prospect from the NSW scholarship system, Taylor Walker.
Selected at pick 27 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Brad Howard (St Kilda, midfielder)
26. Sydney - Ashley Arrowsmith
Medium Forward/Midfielder. 188cm, 82kg. Calder/East Keilor
Possible comparison: Nick Davis can help win a game with a few big plays, Arrowsmith seems to also have the ability to kick a few quick goals, or set them up, and to make an impact in only a couple of minutes.
Why: The Swans lost one forward option when they traded Schneider, Arrowsmith could replace his goals and is also able to play in the middle too. The Swans are at the end of their "premiership window", so drafting a player that can contribute in their first year of AFL would be a bonus, Arrowsmith is ready to go in 2008.
Worth a reach: Jarrad Grant, if they don't go for a marking forward with their earlier pick they could add Grant here and put him beside Hall close to goals.
Hope they slide: Jack Grimes, he would bring the size and effort in the middle that their premiership success was built on.
Selected at pick 26 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Shane Edwards (Richmond, midfielder)
25. Brisbane - Marlon Motlop
Small Forward/Midfielder. 182cm, 76kg. Wanderers
Possible comparison: He is an exciting forward pocket prospect, like Rhan Hooper or Shannon Byrne adding speed up forward.
Why: The Lions will have plenty of marking players around Brown next season, with Bradshaw, Brennan, Leuenberger and Clark, so the forward line needs to have a bit of balance with another small forward or two. They have Hooper, and sometimes have McGrath, and might even use Power there a bit more but there would also be a chance for Motlop to play some games up forward too.
Worth a reach: Joel Smouha, they can take a Queensland prospect, the Lions don't need help in the ruck so Smouha could become their full back.
Hope they slide: Addam Maric, a great shot for goal and could do some of the things that McRae used to do for them.
Selected at pick 25 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Nathan Djerrkura (Geelong, midfielder/small defender)
24. Fremantle - Matthew De Boer
Midfielder. 185cm, 81kg. Claremont
Possible comparison: How he moves and plays the game, he is comparable to Simon Goodwin.
Why: For a midfielder he has a bit of size. The Dockers have the smaller onballers, and can also throw a few tall players into the action, and De Boer would provide a medium-sized midfield option. De Boer has played a lot on the wing, but he does have some experience playing as a forward. The Dockers could also find playing time for him up forward.
Worth a reach: Sam Reid, he would use the space on Subiaco effectively and would get a lot of the ball in the middle for the Dockers.
Hope they slide: Patrick McGinnity, the Dockers don't really need many more small midfielders but McGinnity would add some run and that is something they require a bit more of.
Selected at pick 24 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Brent Renouf (Hawthorn, ruckman)
23. Essendon - Patrick Veszpremi
Midfielder/Small Defender. 181cm, 83kg. Northern/Bundoora
Possible comparison: The Bombers drafted Tom Hislop last year, Veszpremi is similar to him when it comes to how they play the game. They are both strong players who can play in the middle or in a defensive role.
Why: The Bombers lose Mark Johnson, Veszpremi could step into his role as well as be used in other spots. Sheedy will wish he had another year as coach there, as Veszpremi could be a back pocket plumber. He can play more than that specific position, he could have a lot of minutes in the middle and he is also a good option up forward too.
Worth a reach: Aaron Joseph, the Bombers need to rebuild their midfield and adding Joseph to Hislop could produce results.
Hope they slide: Addam Maric, he would be a good fit at the club.
Selected at pick 23 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Paul Stewart (Port Adelaide, tall forward)
22. West Coast - Patrick McGinnity
Midfielder. 182cm, 75kg. Claremont
Possible comparison: If he did join the Eagles, then Michael Braun could be a player there to compare him to.
Why: They lost a few midfielders during the offseason and will add two or three in the draft. McGinnity can run all game, an important requirement on the Eagles' big ground. While they did lose a couple of big names, the Eagles also lost Rowan Jones and his game of being accountable for his opponent, McGinnity could be brought into the team as a defensive midfielder to replace some of what R Jones did.
Worth a reach: Marlon Motlop, the Eagles need some more variety up forward and taking Motlop would add a small goal-kicker to their lineup. They have yet to make a final decision on Sampi, and although Armstrong had a few good games the Eagles may want to add more depth for the small forward spot.
Hope they slide: Addam Maric, the Eagles have been successful with Phil Matera in the forward line in the past and they could find a spot for Maric in the 2008 team.
Selected at pick 22 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Albert Proud (Brisbane, midfielder)
21. Melbourne - Addam Maric
Small Forward/Midfielder. 179cm, 80kg. Calder/Greenvale
Possible comparison: A smaller version of Bruce and Green at Melbourne, a player with great foot skills.
Why: The Demons can be ineffective up forward, Maric would consistently kick goals for them. Maric would probably be fourth on their goals list in 2008, behind Robertson, Neitz and Davey.
Worth a reach: Patrick Veszpremi, he would bring the type of game that their new coach wants.
Hope they slide: Steven Gaertner, he might be one of their options at pick 14, and if they pass on him there he might make it to this selection.
Selected at pick 21 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Gavin Urquhart (Kangaroos, midfielder/small defender)
20. West Coast - Tony Notte
Tall Forward. 194cm, 70kg. Swan Districts
Possible comparison: Luke McPharlin brings a similar type of game, but Notte would keep his high-marking in the forward line, unlike McPharlin who plays at both ends of the ground.
Why: Assuming they go with a midfield type of player at pick 3, the Eagles can then also add a midfielder at pick 20 or 22 and use the other of those picks on a player with a big upside. Notte might need a few years to add bulk and then he may be their full forward.
Worth a reach: Marlon Motlop, he could fill the role there of a small, crumbing forward.
Hope they slide: Jack Grimes, the Eagles might be able to leave draft day with several star Victorian onballers added to their list.
Selected at pick 20 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Tom Hislop (Essendon, midfielder/small defender)
19. Western Bulldogs - Jack Grimes
Midfielder. 187cm, 76. Northern/Hurstbridge
Possible comparison: He is a leader who works hard, someone like Kane Johnson or Brett Kirk.
Why: The Bulldogs have talked about getting bigger all over the ground, Grimes would add a larger body to their midfield. Grimes would give them a future leader for the team while also adding someone who is ready to play AFL in round 1 of 2008.
Worth a reach: Chris Kangars, Tom Williams was drafted as a tall midfielder project but he has been slowed in his development by injuries and it seems he will be played in the back half. Kangars can run and would add a lot of height to their midfield group, and he would also be an option for them in the back line too.
Hope they slide: Tayte Pears, if they take him here then maybe they could try again to unleash Tom Williams into the middle of the ground, as Pears could play centre half back for them.
Selected at pick 19 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Shaun Grigg (Carlton, midfielder/medium forward)
18. Richmond - Steve Gaertner
Tall Forward. 196cm, 83kg. Dandenong/Edithvale-Aspendale
Possible comparison: Matthew Richardson, Tiger fans might see some similarities as Gaertner is also big and athletic.
Why: Richardson will need to be replaced in a few years, and he would certainly enjoy having some immediate assistance too. Riewoldt, Richardson and Gaertner up forward would be an exciting trio of tall forwards. Adding another big forward would also allow them to play Polak as a back, as they need height down that end too.
Worth a reach: Tony Notte, another option for the Tigers as a player to develop to take over from Richardson.
Hope they slide: Cyril Rioli, sometimes a few of the quality smaller players are taken later than expected in drafts, it would take a big slide for him to get to this pick and Richmond fans would celebrate if it did occur.
Selected at pick 18 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Leroy Jetta (Essendon, small forward/midfielder)
The first pick in the preseason draft has the potential to bring a team a star player, but that has not happened for a long time. Jared Brennan might have gone at pick 1 but he is staying with the Lions, according to The Courier-Mail story, Lifestyle and league convince star to re-sign.
Maybe the Tigers do have a player that they are going to pick, but have kept it quiet. If they haven't found an uncontracted player to bring in then former Bomber Kepler Bradley might be the one to take.
Bradley wanted to join the Fremantle Dockers, and that might be a reason for Richmond to pick another player in the preseason draft. But someone with his height must be intriguing for the Tigers. With a fresh start, and a new position, Bradley could be a solid contributor. The Tigers will need to figure out exactly what his position is, as Essendon never found the right spot for him.
Who knows what position is best for Bradley, as he has struggled in the ruck and as a key position player at both ends of the field. He has been effective while playing on the outer wing, and maybe his confidence level goes up if he isn't close to the interchange bench.
Richmond do seem to be running out of quality candidates for their top preseason draft pick, and maybe big Kepler is their best option, and that would mean a player with the initials KB in the yellow and black.
17. Geelong - Scott Selwood
Midfielder/Small Defender. 184cm, 81. Bendigo/Sandhurst
Possible comparison: Like Joel, but plays more in the back half.
Why: The Cats probably would not mind using another first rounder on a Selwood. As the premiership team, the Cats don't have an important draft need that requires immediate attention. S Selwood would be good for their depth, and could play as a back pocket or midfield tagger. The Cats did make a lot of trades that sent out some of their taller players, but they have also promoted Lonergan and he gives them another tall option for either end of the field and they still have big Hawkins, so the Cats can go small here and take a tall with a later pick or two. The Cats have always been a team that had brothers playing together, with the Hockings and Lords and even Malakellis brothers, they can keep that tradition going if they pick Scott Selwood.
Worth a reach: Dawson Simpson, the Cats didn't just win everything but they did it with a team that is young enough to stay together for quite a few years. That means they are in a good position to take a big project player, who is several years away, and Simpson would qualify as big.
Hope they slide: Lachlan Henderson, if they want to go with a local at this pick they will need him to have a big draft day slide.
Selected at pick 17 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Sean Hampson (Carlton, ruckman)
16. Port Adelaide - Levi Greenwood
Midfielder. 181cm, 91kg. Port Magpies/North Whyalla
Possible comparison: A bit like Rodan at ground level but also with the ability to fly for a mark.
Why: The Power can get a player from their SANFL side, something that should be popular with their fans, and he will also add some hustle and excitement to their team. If the Power draft a tall in the first round, it is unlikely that they get any immediate impact from them, but if they draft Greenwood they could expect him to play a lot of games for them in 2008. Port Adelaide did lose Mahoney, so there is a spot on their list for another smaller player.
Worth a reach: Tony Notte, if the Power had him and Westhoff up forward they may not weigh a lot but they would take a ton of marks.
Hope they slide: Brad Ebert, not that there is any chance. It was a surprise that they didn't make more noise in trade week, trying to trade for a higher pick to take Ebert.
Selected at pick 16 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Mitch Brown (West Coast, tall forward/defender)
15. Kangaroos - Cyril Rioli
Small Forward/Midfielder. 178cm, 74kg. St Mary's
Possible comparison: He plays a lot taller than his actual height and has all the moves to get his opponent out of position by working the angles and getting into the right spot, someone like Paul Chapman is a good example of a player who can dominate with his football smarts and effort.
Why: The Kangaroos need a quality smaller player up forward, they also need some star power to generate publicity and a boost in attendance. Rioli could help on, and off, the field. When the media report on the draft results, Rioli will be a name mentioned as much as any other draftee, he already has the name and importantly for who picks him he also has the game.
Worth a reach: Addam Maric, the Kangaroos could have several quality midfielder/small forwards on their draft list and if Rioli is already taken then Maric could be an option for this pick.
Hope they slide: David Myers, with Simpson not getting any younger the Kangaroos do need to find a few more bigger midfielders to develop.
Selected at pick 15 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Daniel O'Keefe (Sydney, midfielder/small forward)
Possible comparison: Like Egan at Geelong, he could play an important but sometimes underrated role in the back half for his AFL team.
Why: If they take a midfielder at 4, the Demons probably go for size here. Or they might reverse that on draft day, taking a bigger prospect early and then an onballer here. As Ebert was the pick in this mock draft at 4, a taller player like Pears would be a good choice here. The Demons were overwhelmed in the back line in 2007, and even though they should have a healthy Rivers and Petterd next season they still need help. Pears could be their third tall defender, with Rivers at centre half back and Carroll or Frawley at full back.
Worth a reach: Steve Gaertner, if the Demons would prefer to find an athletic tall from Victoria then Gaertner could be a possibility at this pick.
Hope they slide: Tom Bellchambers, if Meesen is going to play more as a forward it could open up a spot for another ruckman, Bellchambers would bring them some more size behind White.
Selected at pick 14 in the 2006 AFL draft:
James Sellar (Adelaide, tall forward)
13. West Coast - Tom Bellchambers
Ruckman. 199cm, 91kg. Northern Bombers
Possible comparison: Not around the ground, but when he goes for hitouts he does have a bit of Dean Cox ability. His mobility level could be closer to that of Brogan or King.
Why: With four picks in the top 22, they will want to take a ruckman with one of them. They only have Cox and Seaby, so another ruckman is an important requirement. Right now, if the Eagles have an injury to one of their ruckman it leaves them with Staker going for the hitouts. Bellchambers may not last until the Eagles' next pick, at 20, so taking him here would be an idea worth considering.
Worth a reach: Scott Selwood, they could add another member of the family and also draft a player who could be a future replacement for Wirrpanda.
Hope they slide: David Myers, he isn't getting the hype that some of the WA prospects are but he is just as good as them, the Eagles might consider him at pick 3 and would be very happy if he was still there 10 picks later.
Selected at pick 13 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Jack Riewoldt (Richmond, tall forward)
12. Hawthorn - Tom Collier
Tall Defender/Midfielder. 192cm, 86kg. Lauderdale
Possible comparison: He has the size and running ability of Birchall, but is also a bit stronger with his body and in marking contests. Collier has shown the ability to play in the middle if needed, so there is a chance he could become a player like C Cornes.
Why: Just a coincidence that he is from Tasmania, more importantly he gives them another taller defender.
Worth a reach: Scott Selwood, the Hawks did lose a few smaller players like Vandenberg, and teams with a Selwood are often in the Grand Final.
Hope they slide: Alex Rance, he might be the best prospect among the big backs in the draft, and he could be the final piece that Hawthorn need but it is only a slim chance that he gets to pick 12.
Selected at pick 12 in the 2006 AFL draft:
James Frawley (Melbourne, tall defender)
11. Sydney - David Gourdis
Tall Forward. 193cm, 88kg. Subiaco
Possible comparison: He marks a lot of the ball around half forward, so eventually he might be compared to N Riewoldt, right now he could be J Riewoldt with just a bit more athleticism.
Why: They need an input of height and athleticism in their forward line and Gourdis would provide that. If Hall isn't marking the ball, which was often the case in 2007, the Swans don't have a target to kick to that can grab a contested mark in front of goal. Gourdis would be very useful for them, and it would give Roos the option of changing around his forward setup.
Worth a reach: Tayte Pears, if they decide that a taller backman is a higher priority than help up forward the Swans could draft someone like Pears. It might depend on what end Playfair will be played, and if White is ready for regular AFL action.
Hope they slide: Chris Masten, as some of their premiership players like Fosdike and Kirk are approaching the final years of their career the Swans will need to find a few more quality onballers.
Selected at pick 11 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Andrejs Everitt (Western Bulldogs, tall defender)
10. Adelaide - Chris Masten
Midfielder, 179cm, 78kg. East Fremantle
Possible comparison: Paul Hasleby plays a similar type of game, accumulating a huge amount of the ball. They both handball accurately and just know where the ball is going to be, and also where it has to go.
Why: The Crows need to rebuild their midfield structure. Ricciuto has retired, while Goodwin, Edwards and McLeod don't have many years left. In a few years, Masten should become a leader in the middle for his AFL team, the Crows will need someone like that.
Worth a reach: Levi Greenwood, the Crows don't have a lot of local options in the early rounds and Greenwood has been a star in the SANFL.
Hope they slide: Ben McEvoy is a small chance to slip to this pick, he would give them a needed marking target at centre half forward and also add to their ruck depth.
Selected at pick 10 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Nathan Brown (Collingwood, tall forward/defender)
The Sydney Swans have found a 205cm prospect in Queensland and he will be joining them as a rookie player. The article from the Herald Sun site Three games enough for new Swan talks about a big project that the AFL successfully landed. But football has missed out on one huge prospect, if you watch the NBL there is a 128kg player who was first discovered when "identified by Australian football scouts".
Nathan Jawai of the Cairns Taipans is listed at 208cm, parking him in the goal-square would have provided a tough task for AFL full backs. It may not be too late, Brogan won a title in the NBL before joining Port Adelaide and being part of their 2004 premiership win.
9. St Kilda - Lachlan Henderson
Tall Forward. 196cm, 90kg. Geelong/Geelong College
Possible comparison: He is a bit like Lachlan Hansen, with his name and his game, but a bit bigger.
Why: Gehrig, Hamill, Brooks and Watts are all gone from their list. The Saints need another big forward, Riewoldt is great but he does need some help. Koschitzke could start in the ruck, and Henderson could join Riewoldt in the forward line. When Koschitzke goes forward, if the Saints need a more mobile ruckman than King then Henderson could also help in that spot for a few minutes at a time.
Worth a reach: Jack Grimes, he would bring everything that Coach Lyon wants a midfielder to have.
Hope they slide: Rhys Palmer has a few of the qualities that Robert Harvey does, so he wouldn't be a bad choice to bring in to be his successor in the midfield.
Selected at pick 9 in the 2006 AFL draft:
David Armitage (St Kilda, midfielder)
8. Brisbane - David Myers
Midfielder/Medium Defender. 190cm, 85kg. Perth
Possible comparison: A bit like Josh Drummond if Myers is played as a defender, getting a lot of the ball and being more of an attacking player than a negating one. As a midfielder, Myers might develop into a player that is similar to Joel Corey or Scott Pendlebury.
Why: He could provide some immediate help for the Lions now, either joining Drummond down back or getting some minutes on the wing, and then after a few seasons Myers could take over from Lappin as an important running midfielder/defender that sets up a lot of the play.
Worth a reach: Cyril Rioli, the Lions still need a few more options around Brown, and Rioli could help there as well as in the middle.
Hope they slide: Brad Ebert, the Lions did trade for Johnstone but would still like another midfielder with some size. Ebert would probably be rated higher than Myers on their draft wish list.
Selected at pick 8 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Ben Reid (Collingwood, tall forward)
7. Fremantle - Alex Rance
Tall Defender. 194cm, 87kg. Swan Districts FC
Possible comparison: He is a big, athletic defender like Jared Rivers or Jarrad Waite. Rance is strong in the air, and has the running ability to keep up with the best centre half forwards.
Why: They kept Hasleby and J Carr is there too, therefore maybe Masten wouldn't fill an important need although the Dockers might want to pick him, so the Dockers could look at a different type of player at this pick. A bigger midfield would help the Dockers, and they could draft a taller midfield player here or they could move one or both of Mundy and Johnson to the middle. This could leave a spot in the back line that needs addressing and Rance would then make a lot of sense for the Dockers.
Worth a reach: Masten wouldn't really qualify as a reach, as he could go anywhere from pick 4 to 14, he would be a popular pick with the fans of Fremantle.
Hope they slide: Ben McEvoy could give them the bigger forward target that they missed when Longmuir went down with injury, maybe Longmuir is back next season but they could probably find a spot for McEvoy even if Longmuir is healthy.
Selected at pick 7 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Joel Selwood (Geelong, midfielder)
6. Essendon - Rhys Palmer
Midfielder/Small Forward. 180cm, 76kg. East Fremantle
Possible comparison: Palmer could be like Bell, and be the type of player that can get on a roll and suddenly have 3 or 4 goals and 20 plus possessions. Gary Ablett Junior is another possible comparison, as Palmer is dangerous around goals and hard to catch in the midfield.
Why: Essendon have some players who can get the ball, Stanton and Hislop and a few others, but they need a bit of flair with a player who can break a game open. Palmer could add some excitement to the Essendon list. The Bombers are not worried about drafting from WA, as the majority of their first round picks have been from the West in recent years.
Worth a reach: Cyril Rioli, he has been on Essendon's scouting lists for a while now but with Sheedy gone it probably doesn't happen at this pick, and there would be little chance that he would still be there when Essendon select again.
Hope they slide: Brad Ebert might get to this pick, he not only would bring match-winning attributes with how he plays but he also is a much larger player than Palmer.
Selected at pick 6 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Mitchell Thorp (Hawthorn, tall forward)
5. Western Bulldogs - Ben McEvoy
Tall Forward/Ruckman. 199cm, 90kg. Murray/Dederang-Mt Beauty
Possible comparison: Drew Petrie, when he starts up forward and then plays a few minutes as the backup ruckman, would be a player to compare McEvoy to.
Why: The Bulldogs were a short team even when Darcy and Grant were contributing in the forward line, they are both gone and the Bulldogs really need height up forward now. The Bulldogs have said they are considering five tall forwards for this pick, McEvoy would be the tallest out of those prospects.
Worth a reach: Alex Rance would be a solid choice here too, but height up forward is more important than extra height down back right now.
Hope they slide: C Morton probably goes at 2 or 3, but there is a chance he slips a couple more picks.
Selected at pick 5 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Travis Boak (Port Adelaide, midfielder)
4. Melbourne - Brad Ebert
Midfielder. 187cm, 86kg. Port Magpies/Henley
Possible comparison: Maybe a bit like Voss or Buckley, as he brings size and goal-scoring ability to the midfield.
Why: The Demons have plenty of areas they need to draft help for, the ruck and tall forward positions now have Meesen so a tall is not as much of a priority as it could have been. Melbourne can go BPA with this pick, taking who they think is the Best Player Available instead of focusing on team needs, as they also have Collingwood’s first rounder as well as their own second rounder to use. Ebert would be a great replacement for Johnstone.
Worth a reach: David Myers, with him on one side of the ground and Petterd on the other the Demons could have a lot of production on the half back flanks and through the middle.
Hope they slide: Cotchin, if the Eagles think he won't stay more than a couple of years they might not take him and Melbourne would be happy with that.
Selected at pick 4 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Matthew Leuenberger (Brisbane, ruckman)
3. West Coast - Trent Cotchin
Midfielder. 184cm, 81kg. Northern/PEGS
Possible comparison: Brett Deledio is a good player to compare Cotchin to. They both have an explosive burst of pace, and when they are being defended by a player of similar size they also have the advantage in the air.
Why: They do have plenty of stars still there to put in the midfield, but another one would also be a welcome addition. They can't replace everything that Judd brought, but adding Cotchin might mean a player who eventually gets close to what Judd did.
Worth a reach: David Myers, he could be a tall midfielder for them and he is a local.
Hope they slide: Cale Morton, maybe it would eliminate the "go home factor", although the rest of the Mortons are now on the other coast. The midfield there can use some size so C Morton would be a good fit.
Selected at pick 3 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Lachlan Hansen (Kangaroos, tall forward/defender)
2. Richmond - Cale Morton
Tall Defender/Midfielder. 192cm, 75kg. Claremont
Possible comparison: A taller and quicker version of Joel Bowden, using the ball accurately and often from the back half, but also getting into the middle of the ground more. In last year's draft, Andrejs Everitt was taken high after showing a great combination of height, agility and skills, Cale Morton is similar but more advanced.
Why: They are a bit little, so they can help rectify that by adding players that are large for their position. Morton could be one of the bigger midfielders in the AFL if they decide to play him there. The choice is Cotchin or Morton, Morton might have an extra 10cm on Cotchin and still be able to play the same position so that could be a reason to take Cale Morton at pick 2.
Worth a reach: Alex Rance, the Tigers need some size in the back line and Rance at centre half back would be a solid move.
Hope they slide: Kreuzer, so unlikely to happen, but it would be a great day for the yellow and black if it did.
Selected at pick 2 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Scott Gumbleton (Essendon, tall forward)
Here is a guess at who the teams are going to select in the 2007 AFL draft. The draft order, updated after trade week is being used. There is a team in the West that might lose a pick or two, and that could radically alter who goes where, but that does seem unlikely to happen and even if some action is taken it could instead change the 2008 AFL draft order.
As with any mock, phantom, fake, prediction draft there will be plenty of choices that are a bit out. Only pick 39 can be written about with any certainty, as Darcy Daniher is locked into that spot.
Every pick in the draft will be posted here in the coming days. Maybe a few sleepers will be found, maybe a player or two will be over-hyped a tad, some of the picks might be spot on. It isn't just the Under 18 teams that will provide players for this draft, the VFL should be popular later in the draft as will older players from other leagues. Plenty of delisted AFL players would be considered from around pick 45. As Rodan showed during season 2007, a "recycled" player taken with the last pick can still be a match-winner.
Closer to the draft, another update of the mock draft will be provided.
1. Carlton - Matthew Kreuzer.
Ruckman/Tall Forward. 199cm, 91kg. Northern/Bundoora
Possible comparison: Just like Leuenberger, but an inch shorter. Kreuzer is a ruckman who can run, he can also mark above his head. Corey McKernan, at the start of his career with North Melbourne, is another player he is similar to, but not as strong as he was when he first played AFL.
Why: Teams should always draft the best tall at the top of the draft, Kreuzer is the best prospect among the tall and smaller options. If Carlton don't pick him, words like laughing stock and crazy would be used to describe them. Even if Hampson is going to be great, and he is several years away from anything close to that, a team needs a couple of big ruckmen to win.
Selected at pick 1 in the 2006 AFL draft:
Bryce Gibbs (Carlton, midfielder)
Adelaide
Jason Torney
Ian Perrie
Matthew Bode
John Hinge
Darren Pfeiffer
Adelaide didn't fix their forward problems with Perrie so he is out.
Carlton
David Teague
Dylan McLaren
Ross Young
Anthony Raso
Craig Flint
The Blues won't miss any of these players. McLaren was a former number 1 pick in the preseason draft, that didn't work for them.
Essendon
Mark Johnson
Kepler Bradley
Richard Cole
Lachlan McKinnon
The Bombers decided to give away Bradley and M Johnson instead of trading them, doesn't make a lot of sense.
Geelong
Sam Hunt
Stephen Owen
Matthew Spencer
Joel Reynolds (rookie)
Todd Grima (rookie)
Grima has some ability, but they had already promoted Davenport and Lonergan so there wasn't a spot for Grima too.
Hawthorn
Matt Little
Josh Thurgood
It seems to happen every year, it was only 12 months ago when Hawthorn were delisting Josh Thurgood and they are doing it again.
Kangaroos
Djaran Whyman
Callum Urch
Daniel McConnell
Ben Hughes (rookie)
Tim Hutchison (rookie)
The Kangaroos will replace Whyman and McConnell on their list with a couple of players acquired in trade week, Sam Power and Ben Davies.
Melbourne
Simon Godfrey
Daniel Ward
Heath Neville
Shane Neaves (rookie)
Daniel Hayes (rookie)
Ryan Ferguson
The Demons have begun a big rebuild, they also traded Johnstone and had three players retire.
St Kilda
Barry Brooks
Phil Raymond
Justin Sweeney
Fergus Watts
James Wall (rookie)
The Saints went through a time when trading high picks to teams in SA was the normal procedure, the result of that is seen here as they delist Watts, a former Crow, and Brooks, who they acquired from the Power.
Sydney
Simon Phillips
Luke Vogels
Jonathan Simpkin
Matthew Davis (rookie)
Earl Shaw (rookie)
Little Phillips and big Vogels were not the answer in their forward line and they have been sent on their way.
Not included on the official delistings list yet, but the clubs below have also announced players that won't return.
West Coast will delist a couple of their premiership players at the end of the month, you probably saw that this week.
The Western Bulldogs previously announced that several players were being delisted, Cameron Faulkner and Tim Walsh were the bigger names on the way out.
Richmond had a few retirements, and maybe Kane Johnson will unexpectedly announce the delistings soon. When the Tigers and other teams announce the players they are letting go, an updated post will be added to the site. October 31 will be a scary day for plenty of players, that is when the lists have to be cut down.
When people had Commodore 64s it wasn't a time when sporting fantasy leagues were as popular as they are today. They still existed, but it was either people gathered around a table to select players for the season or joining an organized league and making trades by posting letters in the mailbox. That doesn't mean the stats from the past are not interesting, and Greg Williams at Sydney or Lockett at the Saints would have been huge AFL fantasy players. James Manson would have also been a solid signing for fantasy teams.
During the late 80s and early 90s, Manson's stats would have found him a place on many fantasy teams. He would have also been eligible at several positions, the ruck and forward, another reason to sign him. Goals, marks and hitouts would have provided the bulk of his fantasy points. His value could have also gone up in fantasy leagues that counted contested marks.
Some current players to compare Manson to for fantasy stats could be Drew Petrie, Travis Cloke and Justin Koschitzke. Like Petrie and Koschitzke, Manson produced hitouts, goals and marks in his role as a ruckman and forward. His hitouts totals would be a bit higher than those two. Cloke's goals and marks might be bit higher than Manson's, due to Cloke playing exclusively as a forward now.
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No real reason for this, except the first couple of lines in the song, about black and white. Although there is a big guy on the video who would be great when the goal-posts need to be replaced. Some "heavy metal violin", a nice collection of hats and kilts and a big, old castle also add something to this unique video.
James Manson talks about some concerns he has for football:
"My concerns in regards to football at the moment are that if people are so concerned about the AFL's drug policy then they should also be willing to undergo drug testing at their places of employment themselves. I think the AFL's main concern is rehabilitation of any player stupid enough to become involved in illegal activity. This is definitely the way to go. Why should AFL players be treated any differently to the rest of the employed population.
"I also am concerned about the media scrutiny that is so much a part of a current AFL footballers life. AFL football is a general reflection of life as a whole and as in all walks of life, there are many and varied personalities that make up the ranks of AFL footballers. Some are positive people, some are not. This is just a fact of life. There are bad egg policemen, politicians, councillors, solicitors and I see AFL players being no different. It is selling our children short if their major role models are sportspeople."
Collingwood had the advantage of size and versatility for their ruck position when Manson and Damien Monkhorst were in black and white. It was a key ingredient in their premiership success.
In James Manson's ruck rankings below, it is the big tandem of Dean Cox and Mark Seaby who get the top spot ahead of Geelong's big ruckmen. Collingwood have recently added to their ruck depth, with C Wood joining the team that sounds right for him, and the Magpies should improve their hitouts statistics in 2008.
Here are James Manson's top ruck combinations for season 2007:
"I am loathe to compare Damien and myself to any of the modern teams because I feel we played a completely different style of football in a completely different era.
"I think each ruck team is unique and have their strengths and weaknesses."
James Manson – Player Inductee – Played underage football for the club. Manson started his senior career with North Hobart in 1984. Subsequently played for Collingwood where he was a member of the Magpies 1990 premiership team. James also represented Tasmania on 4 occasions. James was a winner of the Lefroy medal for best player in the Tasmania team in 1990.
There are always James Manson auctions on ebay, with a variety of football cards for sale depicting his time at Collingwood and Fitzroy. Other memorabilia items appear frequently too, especially the ones from 1990.
Some of the James Manson memorabilia that can be found on ebay.
Be careful with an international sports card auction search, this isn't the real James Manson.(Pictures from In The Crease)
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James Manson In Action
A video highlight of Collingwood versus Fitzroy, not only James Manson but also plenty of other stars. Paul Roos with his hair a tad longer at the back, when compared to his hair now. Gary Pert kicking a goal for Collingwood. Also note James Manson's sportsmanship at the end of the game. Another interesting part of the video, happy fans on the ground, great stuff.
An interesting matchup for Collingwood fans to consider, it is a pre-Buckley team taking on a post-Buckley one. James Manson is starting at centre half forward, he would also play in the forward pocket and the ruck.
1992 FB Michael Gayfer, Gary Pert, Craig Kelly
2008 FF Paul Medhurst, Anthony Rocca, Sean Rusling
1992 HB Gavin Crosisca, Michael Christian, Shane Morwood
2008 HF Dale Thomas, Travis Cloke, Alan Didak
1992 C Graham Wright, Tony Shaw, Paul Williams
2008 C Scott Pendlebury, Scott Burns, Tarkyn Lockyer
1992 HF Gavin Brown, James Manson, Craig Starcevich
2008 HB Nick Maxwell, Harry O'Brien, Tyson Goldsack
1992 FF Peter Daicos, Ron McKeown, Scott Russell
2008 FB Heath Shaw, Shane Wakelin, Dane Swan
1992 Foll Damien Monkhorst, Mick McGuane, Tony Francis
2008 Foll Josh Fraser, Shane O'Bree, Ben Johnson
1992 bench Sav Rocca, Alan Richardson, Shane Kerrison, Shane Watson
2008 bench Cameron Wood, Ben Reid, Leon Davis, Martin Clarke
1992 emergency Jason McCartney, Troy Lehmann, Mark Fraser
2008 emergency Rhyce Shaw, Shannon Cox, Simon Prestigiacomo
The Collingwood of today is a team of youth, while the Magpies of 1992 had a lot of strong, experienced bodies. The 1992 would probably get the win, not that it is a good idea to expect Collingwood's current team to lose as they often defied the predictions during season 2007.
The current Collingwood team dominates when big Rocca does, the 1992 Magpies would have plenty of options to contain him. Pert and Christian would be the players to use on Rocca, with Kelly another defender to try. Down the other end, Daicos would be the main star of the forward line along with several other players who would be capable of kicking multiple goals.
They haven't played a game yet, but the Fraser-Wood ruck tandem should help Collingwood win plenty of games next season. In this game they would have to take on 212kg of Monkhorst and Manson. The 1992 ruckmen might be just too strong for the current duo.
The smalls around the ruckmen would also determine which team won this matchup. It looks like it would be a close contest, the 1992 team had a lot of premiership onballers so the current team may not be able win as much of the ball as the Tony Shaw-led midfield could.
While many things in football have changed since 1992, there are plenty of similarities between these two Collingwood teams. Each had a Shaw and a Rocca. The back lines are both underrated, getting the job done through teamwork and effort. There are also the players who can win a game with a few great plays, like Daicos then and Thomas now. The coaching for each team would also be exemplary.
It was a huge undertaking for Tasmania when they played the Big V, and they were ready for the challenge. Click on the link below to read about the big win that Tasmania had, as James Manson took on the might of Victoria as well as a very big Collingwood ruckman.
James Manson was also part of another colossal contest, here are the details from the 1990 Grand Final. It wasn't "one day in September", but the same trophy was up for grabs.
From mcg.org.au
1990 Grand Final Results
Saturday, October 6, 1990
COLLINGWOOD
B: S. Kerrison, M. Christian, M. Gayfer
HB: S. Morwood, C. Kelly, G. Crosisca
C: D. Millane, A. Shaw (Capt.), G. Wright
HF: D. Banks, J. Manson, D. Barwick
F: S. Russell, G. Brown, P. Daicos
FOLL.: D. Monkhorst, M. McGuane, T. Francis
INTER.: J. Turner, C. Starcevich
COACH - Leigh Matthews
ESSENDON
B: M. Thompson A. Daniher P. Hamilton
HB: D. Grenvold T. Daniher G. O'Donnell
C: G. Anderson D. Kickett M. Long
HF: M. harvey P. Van Der Haar P. Cransberg
F: A. Ezard P. Salmon K. Sporn
FOLL: S. Madden T. Watson (c) D. Bewick
INTER: C. Daniher P. Somerville
COACH: K. Sheedy
It has all been forgotten about now, but there was a time, which lasted for around four decades, when the Geelong supporters were a bit temperamental. The umpires, opposition fans, Kent Kingsley, they all felt their wrath. The sight of black and white stripes was often something that set them off too.
Not too long ago at VFL Park the fans of the Cats went berserk. It might have been a long drive for them but plenty of Geelong fans were there. Probably a very cold day, the Geelong fans were red hot with anger. Their target, an injured opposition player. Not only did their fans fail to keep a lid on it, even a few players were a bit perturbed too.
The Geelong fans who watched the game on TV were just as loud that day, as the commentator suggested that there was something going on. But it was just a moment in a game when a player flew for the mark, was hurt and couldn't take his kick.
James Manson talks about the game versus the Cats:
"Unfortunately this one incident is all I am remembered for. I was certainly feeling the worst for wear and always would take a kick, I was actually pretty accurate within 30 meters (1990 - I kicked 33.12) It certainly was not a set play, something people jumped onto because of intimation by the then commentators."
Fitzroy of 1995 was not a finals contender but the team did have plenty of players who would play in Grand Finals, and a certain player who already had. Chris Johnson, Martin Pike and Jarrod Molloy would all play on the big stage in September and they were a part of the 1995 Fitzroy side.
The trivia question is about two Grand Final ruckmen that Fitzroy had in 1995. One played in a Grand Final before going to Fitzroy, the other played in a Grand Final after going to another club later in their career. If you think you can name both of them, leave your answer in the comments section below.
It was usually James Manson and the Magpies, when he was playing on the field. But he was also playing music too. Below is a notice from the Football Record about James Manson and the Sharks appearing at the Collingwood Social Club.
James Manson talks about his music:
"I was involved in bands from an early age at school, including orchestras (I played the violin as well as guitar).
The Sharks were an original band who did allot of work with well known engineer Paul Kosky and played live supporting many major Australian bands and artists including the Black Sorrows, James Reyne and Diesel. I still am involved in music writing technology reviews and the odd interview for Australian Musician Magazine and actively record and play live."
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Plenty of songs have been written about things that are black and white, here are a few interesting song lyrics.
U2, their song New Year's Day does have a line that sounds like it is about Magpies fans.
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspapers says, says
Say it's true it's true...
And we can break through
Slade certainly liked black and white in their classic song Run, Runaway.
I like black and white (dreaming of black and white)
You like black and white
Run, run away
Collingwood fans have dreams of the premiership, Van Halen'sDreams had an opening line that Collingwood fans would enjoy, although the second line doesn't make a lot of sense.
World turns black and white
pictures in an empty room
World turns black and white, pictures in an empty room. You may have noticed a slight alteration to the colours of the site. It's a week of the history of football, featuring the unique career of Mr James Manson.
Collingwood premiership player, State Of Origin star, a force in the forward line and the ruck, the big week will cover those times and much more. A big thank you has to go to James Manson for taking the time to entertain football fans once again.
Next week, a mock draft will be posted on the site, but this week it is a special treat for football fans, James Manson Week.
The Western Bulldogs are tearing things up, off the field, as they redevelop their home ground. This provides a chance for football fans to get a piece of the history there.
The Player Lockers come in groups of three, so if you want number 28 you are also going to get 27 and 29. It seems $300 is the price they are going for. Get them while they are cheap and their, or "there", word use is incorrect. There are 12 auctions for the lockers.
AFL auctions
Click on Bulldogs, and then on Player Lockers.
Each purchaser is to bring necessary trollies and lifting equipment to assist in loading of there vehicle.
St Kilda: A plus
They used Hamill's money on extending the contracts of Riewoldt, Dal Santo and other Saints and they used the money that Gehrig would have taken to add a lot more depth, which included the three premiership players and another guy called Gardiner.
Collingwood: A
The Magpies went looking for a ruckman, and they got one. So it was a successful trade week for Collingwood.
Carlton: B plus
They did get Judd, but they didn't acquire him at a cheap price. Hadley will be useful and they now have another bigger body for the midfield.
Brisbane: B
The Lions think they are a lot more dangerous than the other teams do, and the Lions may be correct, if Bradshaw returns at his best and Johnstone rewards the Lions for acquiring him.
West Coast: B
Judd and Morton wanted out, and the Eagles made the best of that situation as they will dominate the upcoming AFL draft.
Melbourne: B
Their rebuilding got a bit of help with the acquisition of another first round pick.
Western Bulldogs: B
In some ways it was addition by subtraction, as McMahon and Power didn't provide wins by running around the field. Maybe the Bulldogs will have more accountable defenders in the back half now. Hudson playing with Cross and West in the middle should make the Bulldogs strong at the stoppages.
Richmond: B
Overpaid for McMahon, underpaid for Morton. The Tigers also have the top pick in the preseason draft, if they had not traded for Morton they might have had to use that pick on him, so there is still room for the Tigers to improve. Jared Brennan would be a good result for them.
Geelong: C plus
People need to look at what Geelong did a bit differently, they didn't really lose players, the Cats actually cleared spots for players with a lot more potential, Tom Lonergan and Jason Davenport. Pick 44 and Donohue are also new additions.
Hawthorn: C
They probably should have done something, as they don't have enough spots up forward to fit Boyle, Thorp and Dowler beside Franklin and Roughead.
Adelaide: C
The Moran deal was a good move, they should use him in the ruck although some think that the Crows will try to change him into a centre half back.
Sydney: C
The week started well, acquiring Mattner, but the Saints then got a two-for-one special from the Swans and the addition of Playfair is a questionable move.
Port Adelaide: D
They were in the Grand Final, and didn't do too well, so an idea might have been to add a player or two to improve the team and make another run next season. The Power went after Schulz, they might be better off without him so they shouldn't feel bad that they didn't land him.
Fremantle: D
Quiet this year after a big trade week a year ago. If they are not going to play Murphy they should have traded him.
Essendon: F
They had to decide if they were trying to win next year or starting to rebuild, by not trading it showed they don't know what direction they are going.
Kangaroos: F
They do things a bit differently at the Kangaroos, and when it comes to trade week they often go in the wrong direction. Maybe Power and Davies will help, but they may not be better than some of the players that the Kangaroos delisted like McConnell and Urch.
Name: Ashley Hockey
Height: 181
Weight: 78
State: Victoria Country
Club(s): Murray/Mooroopna
AFL Positions:
He might be the type of player who in the first few years of his career goes from the back pocket, to a tagging role in the midfield and then to being a very important midfielder who gets a lot of the ball.
Perfect Fit For:
The Tigers might be thinking of playing Raines or Newman in the middle more often, so adding a small defender like Hockey would allow them to do that. While they have added McMahon, they could also use another younger player too.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
Teams might think about taking Hockey in the third round. Geelong have a couple of picks in that round, and if they go taller with their earlier picks they might want a smaller player then. With Callan, and possibly Tenace and D Johnson going, there might be a spot for Hockey on their list next year.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
If he does go to a solid team, a year in the VFL might await him. There is also a chance that a struggling team drafts him, and gives him a few games at AFL level. He can get the ball when he plays, but how often he plays is hard to predict.
The Cats didn't just trade players for salary cap reasons, they also wanted to open up spots on their list. Two rookie players are to be promoted, one is well-known and the other is an exciting player who should make an impact soon.
Tom Lonergan showed he was over any injury problems with a big year in the VFL, and a huge performance in the Grand Final. Jason Davenport has progressed from being a VFL-listed player, then to the rookie list and now onto Geelong's main list. Lonergan will give Geelong another taller option, at both ends of the ground, while Davenport will provide run in the midfield.
Geelong yesterday confirmed that Davenport and Tom Lonergan _ who has made a remarkable comeback to football after having a kidney removed 14 months ago _ would be elevated onto the senior list next year.
The Crows also are promoting a player, from a NSW scholarship position. Taylor Walker might end up being a player that helps solve the Crows' problems in the forward line.
Carlton have sent out two big forwards in the last couple of days, they traded Mr Kennedy in the Judd deal and have now told Whitnall he is out too. As someone like Steven King might say, about a player who is at least traded to a new club when his club can’t keep him around, "(after) captaining the club, it's probably the least they could do for me". Carlton didn't even try to get anything for Whitnall or to find him a new team.
Whitnall should have plenty of teams considering him, and they should forget about how Carlton played him. It isn't just the dogs that Whitnall has in common with Lockett, he should also be played close to goals. A team that wants a full forward should look to draft Whitnall. The Bulldogs are not going with a youth movement yet, as shown by the Hudson acquisition, so Whitnall is a perfect fit there. The Saints are in "win now" mode, but Gehrig has retired and they have also lost a former Carlton forward, Hamill. The Crows need someone new at full forward, Sydney would be a great spot for him too and even the Power might be interested.
Collingwood released Saverio Rocca and he had a very good second career at the Kangaroos. If Lance gets a chance his new team might get a lot for little risk.
At Carlton, the forward line is even more Fevola than it was before. They can put Waite or S O'hAilpin up there, but then they suffer in the back half. Ratten used to have Kernahan and Spalding in the forward line, two huge targets, so his thinking as a coach does not reflect what used to happen when he played. While Kreuzer has to be their first pick, and he is a ruckman first and a forward last, they don’t have any other selections in the draft to find a quality forward prospect. Maybe Ackland will be a forward pocket next year.
Unofficial at the moment, here is an updated draft order.
Priority Pick: 1. Carlton
2. Richmond
3. West Coast (from Carlton)
4. Melbourne
5. Western Bulldogs
6. Essendon
7. Fremantle
8. Brisbane Lions
9. St Kilda
10. Adelaide
11. Sydney
12. Hawthorn
13. West Coast
14. Melbourne (from Collingwood via Brisbane)
15. Kangaroos
16. Port Adelaide
17. Geelong
Priority Pick: 18. Richmond
19. Western Bulldogs (from Richmond)
20. West Coast (from Carlton)
21. Melbourne
22. West Coast (from Western Bulldogs)
23. Essendon
24. Fremantle
25. Brisbane Lions
26. Sydney (from St Kilda)
27. Adelaide
28. Port Adelaide (from Adelaide via Sydney Swans)
29. Hawthorn
30. Adelaide (from West Coast via Western Bulldogs)
31. Collingwood
32. Kangaroos
33. Port Adelaide
34. Geelong
35. Adelaide (from Richmond via West Coast and Western Bulldogs)
36. Carlton
37. Kangaroos (from Melbourne via Adelaide)
38. Western Bulldogs
39. Essendon – Darcy Daniher to be selected here with the father/son rule
40. Fremantle
41. Brisbane Lions
42. St Kilda
43. Adelaide
44. Geelong (from Sydney Swans)
45. Hawthorn
46. Carlton (from West Coast)
47. Collingwood
48. Western Bulldogs (from Kangaroos)
49. Port Adelaide
50. Geelong
51. Richmond
52. Brisbane Lions (from Carlton)
53. Melbourne
54. West Coast (from Western Bulldogs)
55. Essendon
56. Fremantle
57. Brisbane Lions
58. St Kilda
59. Adelaide
60. Sydney
61. Hawthorn
62. Geelong (from West Coast via Western Bulldogs)
63. Collingwood
64. Kangaroos
65. Port Adelaide
66. Western Bulldogs (from Geelong)
There will be a few more picks in the draft, and when the official draft order is released it will be posted here. It will depend on how many players retire or are delisted as to the number of picks that teams will have available.
Collingwood and Geelong will also use their last picks to take father/son selections. Some teams like Adelaide and Sydney might also draft players through the NSW scholarship process.
Essendon didn't get involved during trade week, and they were one of the teams that missed a chance to move along some players. Kepler Bradley, Courtney Johns and Mark Johnson were players who were expected to be shopped around by the Bombers, but they didn't like any of the deals they were offered.
Whitnall and Bentick are still at Carlton, although the Blues are going to decide soon if they want to give Whitnall a new contract. Sydney kept Jude Bolton, Richmond didn't like the pick offered for Schulz and nothing happened with Krakouer or Meyer, the Saints still have two Fishers as Leigh stayed, the Power didn't trade talls White and Willets and Melbourne also kept tall defenders Carroll and Miller.
Brisbane's Jared Brennan could enter the preseason draft as he wasn't traded, other names that could have moved but didn't include Ryan Murphy of Fremantle, Leigh Brown, Mitch Hahn and Daniel McConnell. Collingwood still have R Shaw, he nearly went to Brisbane. Kane Tenace was a chance to go to Sydney, that didn't happen.
The Saints added a lot, at little cost. The Bulldogs were active and shook things up a bit, but didn't really do anything big. The Eagles loaded up with quality draft picks, the Crows shuffled things a bit but not a lot changed and the Kangaroos made some strange choices.
Essendon may have been the worst club during trade week, probably overvaluing what they had.
AFL Trade Analysis
Carlton receive Richard Hadley
Brisbane receive pick 52
Why for Carlton: Some size and experience for the midfield.
Why for Brisbane: The Lions have a few young players who they need to play, like Proud and Begley, so Hadley wasn't going to be a regular player for them.
Kangaroos receive Sam Power
Western Bulldogs receive pick 48
Why for the Kangaroos: They want a bit more run in the back line, Power didn't cost a lot and he might help them in that area.
Why for the Western Bulldogs: They didn't need him, the Bulldogs have to change how they play and moving out a number of players will help with that transition.
Kangaroos receive Ben Davies
Collingwood receive pick 96
Why for the Kangaroos: Coach Laidley likes to give players another chance, possibly due to what happened in his own playing career.
Why for Collingwood: Instead of delisting a player, they found a way for him to go to a club that wants him.
Western Bulldogs receive Tim Callan and pick 66
Geelong receive pick 62
Why for the Western Bulldogs: A few of their smaller defenders have been moved along, Callan might bring something different than McMahon and Power.
Why for Geelong: They get to use his money elsewhere, keeping players like Mooney and Blake at the club.
Western Bulldogs receive Ben Hudson and pick 43
Adelaide receive picks 30 and 38
Why for the Western Bulldogs: They need help in the ruck, Hudson will provide that in the short, and possibly medium, term.
Why for Adelaide: Hudson was leaving, and they received some compensation for that instead of waving goodbye if he went to the Bulldogs in the preseason draft.
West Coast receive picks 22 and 54
Western Bulldogs receive picks 30, 35 and 62
Why for West Coast: They already have a lot of high draft picks, they won't want to delist too many players so they traded three picks for two, and moved up a bit to pick 22.
Why for the Western Bulldogs: They had a couple of trades lined up and the extra number of picks was helpful for that.
St Kilda receive Steven King and Charlie Gardiner
Geelong receive pick 90
Why for St Kilda: The retirements of Gehrig and Hamill opened up some money to spend, and the Cats sent out an early Christmas package by giving them two players.
Why for Geelong: They saved money. They helped two players continue their AFL careers at another club, and also cleared room on the list and this could mean Jason Davenport is being elevated from the rookie list.
Richmond receive Mitch Morton
West Coast receive pick 35
Why for Richmond: He is a versatile young player and might provide another scoring option around half forward. The Tigers also keep preseason pick number 1 in play, and can now turn their attention to another player coming out of contract.
Why for West Coast: M Morton was going to enter the preseason draft, the Eagles were not in a good spot so they salvaged something with pick 35.
St Kilda receive Adam Schneider and Sean Dempster
Sydney receive pick 26
Why for St Kilda: It was a bargain buy, and they add a forward/midfielder and a defender/midfielder. Both players will also have a good understanding of Coach Lyon's game-plan.
Why for Sydney: Both players were not a huge part of their 2007 team, and pick 26 might get them a player who can do something different than Schneider or Dempster. Sydney also save some money.
Sydney receive Henry Playfair
Geelong receive pick 44
Why for Sydney: They need some size up forward to help Hall.
Why for Geelong: They didn't have a big need in the forward line, as they also have extra depth with Hawkins and Lonergan probably also rejoins the main list.
Richmond receive Jordan McMahon
Western Bulldogs receive pick 19
Why for Richmond: A few Bulldogs have gone to the Tigers, McMahon is probably going to be similar to Leon Cameron in the back line and accumulate possessions like P Bowden did in 2006, he will absolutely be better than Paul Hudson was for the Tigers. Pick 19 might be a bit high, but as the Tigers may have acquired Morton for a bargain price it might all balance out.
Why for the Western Bulldogs: They weren't winning with him and his bright blue boots running around the back half, and pick 19 is in the part of the draft where some athletic key position prospects will be available.
Adelaide receive Brad Symes
Port Adelaide receive pick 28
Why for Adelaide: They traded Mattner and Symes can replace him in their team.
Why for Port Adelaide: He didn't play many games this year, pick 28 gives them another shot in the draft.
Adelaide receive Brad Moran
Kangaroos receive pick 37
Why for Adelaide: A running ruckman who should have some improvement left in him, Moran will be a useful addition with Meesen and Hudson leaving.
Why for the Kangaroos: They were not going to have a spot for him, so in some ways it was best to move him along. They probably should have gotten a bit more for him, but as the Kangaroos have McIntosh, Hale, Petrie and Goldstein a pick in the middle of the draft is more useful to them than Moran playing in the VFL.
Collingwood receive Cameron Wood
Melbourne receive pick 14
Brisbane receive Travis Johnstone
Why for Collingwood: They need another ruckman, they got a tall one who is a lot more advanced in his development than any player drafted at pick 14 would be.
Why for Melbourne: Coach Bailey is sending out a couple of things, he is sending out the older players and also sending a message to those who remain. Pick 14 should provide them with a very good player.
Why for Brisbane: Wood wasn't needed, Charman was signed to a new contract and Leuenberger could become the best ruckman in the AFL. Johnstone gives them another veteran midfielder and along with Power, Black and others he should send a steady supply of the football to Brown.
Carlton receive Chris Judd and pick 46
West Coast receive picks 3 and 20 and Josh Kennedy
Why for Carlton: It's the first big thing they have done there since acquiring Greg Williams. He brought them a Brownlow and premiership and they will expect Judd to do the same, although the first part will be a lot easier than the team winning in September.
Why for West Coast: They did get plenty for him, they should get two future stars with the picks and Kennedy is also a former number 4 overall draft pick too. Morton, Masten, Palmer or Cotchin will be the player who goes at pick 3.
Melbourne receive John Meesen
Adelaide receive pick 37
Why for Melbourne: A former top 10 pick who measures in at around 200cm, a bargain when it only costs pick 37. The Demons need to get him in the weight room, and away from the computer. The Demons' new coach should know what he is getting, as he would have scouted his games in the SANFL.
Why for Adelaide: He was already out the door, and pick 37 is a better return than getting nothing through the preseason draft. The Crows have added a couple of picks, maybe they keep them but they could also trade for Moran and Symes, two players who play the same positions as Meesen and Mattner.
Sydney receive Martin Mattner
Adelaide receive pick 28
Why for Sydney: The Swans can go for one more win with this current group and adding a few more veterans is the right strategy. Malceski and Kennelly can play in the middle more, with Mattner taking over their role in the back line.
Why for Adelaide: They were not playing him regularly so it made sense to move him along and get something useful for him. The Crows need to get younger and start again and an extra pick in the second round will help. There will be a number of exciting players still around at pick 28.
Adelaide turned a punch in the nose into something much nicer as they have been able to send to the Kangaroos the draft pick they acquired when ruckman Meesen left and the Crows now have Brad Moran. This is a huge win for the Crows, as pick 37 in the draft wasn’t going to deliver a ruckman as ready for the AFL as Moran. Meesen leaving, and Hudson going too, looked like causing a lot of problems for Adelaide but by landing the athletic Moran the Crows are in good shape in the ruck.
The Kangaroos didn’t have a spot for Moran, with McIntosh and Hale there, but they should have gotten something a lot better than just pick 37. With so many teams needing ruckmen, the 200cm Moran should have been worth a bit more than the Kangaroos received.
Adelaide also used the pick they had from the Mattner deal to acquire another running defender. Brad Symes moves teams but not cities as he goes from the Power to the Crows. More of a sideways deal by the Crows, although they do get a bit younger and Symes showed in 2006 that he can play.
The Saints also finalized their deal with Sydney, acquiring Schneider and Dempster for pick 26. This must be seen as a big win for the Saints, either of those players would have been worth that pick. Lyon can thank his history with the Swans for getting such a good deal. Sydney will find a solid player at pick 26, and they will also free up some money if it needs to be used on other players.
There was Grand Final week, then a week of celebrations and parades at Geelong and then the intrigue and confusion of AFL trade week. The big football weeks should take a break, but on AFL Insider there will be another week of football celebrations starting on Monday.
It won't be as exciting as trade week, but it will rock. The Grand Final week was huge, close to Monkhorst in size, and on Monday it will be big but not that size.
It will be something that should entertain all football fans, with plenty of colour and also some things in black and white.
The Tigers might want to go to Moreton Bay for a preseason camp, it seems they like the sound of that name. Mitch Morton is reportedly on the way, which increases the chances of them drafting Cale Morton at pick 2. A trade for the Bulldogs' Jordan McMahon is also expected to happen.
If it is pick 19 that the Bulldogs receive, they might get the best of that deal. There could be some other draft picks exchanged that will change that. With Raines and Newman, and other young players to be added through the draft, the back line at Richmond doesn't need another small, unless they plan on moving a few players into the middle and then McMahon can replace them in the back half.
The Mitch Morton deal looks like being a lot more beneficial to the Tigers. As he could have joined Richmond in the preseason draft, the Eagles didn't have a good bargaining position and pick 35 might have been the best they could do. Again, until the trade is officially announced, how well Richmond did in the trade is just a guess.
It would seem that acquiring Mitch Morton is indicating that Cale Morton will be Richmond's pick at number 2 in the AFL draft. The Tigers have had plenty of success with brothers on their team, and the Mortons could play in nearly any position for the Tigers. Mitch probably starts forward and Cale in the back half.
McMahon, the dashing Western Bulldogs defender, has agreed to a three-year deal to cross to Punt Rd. The Bulldogs will receive pick No. 19 in return, with a shuffling of other picks possible before today's 2pm deadline.
And Richmond struck what appeared to be a bargain deal for Eagles half-forward Morton, giving up pick 35 in return.
It was something that always made sense for the Swans, getting Henry Playfair back to NSW, and the trade has happened. The Swans need a big forward, the Cats need to make a few moves to free up salary space, it was a good deal for both teams.
Geelong will reportedly receive pick 44 for Playfair. Playfair could be Sydney's new centre half forward in 2008. The addition of Playfair, and the potential of White to also play a forward spot for Sydney next season, could mean the end of Vogels at the Swans. From the Western district, Vogels might have been someone that the Cats had interest in, if they had the space in their salary cap.
Geelong have been eager to offload some of the experienced players who did not make their premiership team, to alleviate salary cap pressure and make room for draftees. Swans coach Paul Roos said the 198cm Playfair would help provide support for marking forwards Barry Hall and Ryan O'Keefe.
A big name, and some big players went to new clubs during the penultimate day of AFL trading. There is no player who is bigger, in the proverbial sense, than Judd. Two giant ruck prospects and a centre half forward also changed clubs. A former number 1 pick also was moved along.
On Friday, the Bulldogs will announce that they officially have Hudson and Tenace. They also seem to be in the running for Jared Brennan, Essendon were also talked about as a possible destination.
The Saints might add King from Geelong, and at least two Swans, Schneider and Dempster.
Richmond have been making a lot of noise, so something probably happens with them. Players from Brisbane and West Coast seem to be their targets. They also want Jordan McMahon, it must be Terry Wallace and his "small ball" game idea, but it doesn't work.
The Kangaroos have not had any takers for what they were offering, but maybe Moran or Brown is traded soon. The Dockers should have found a new home for Murphy, it hasn't happened yet. Hawthorn might also want to trade their Murphy, especially as the Boyle trade talk seems to have died down a bit.
There should be plenty of trades that are finalized tomorrow, and maybe there is going to be a surprise from a few teams as they decide to pull the trigger on more deals than they did last year.
AFL Trade Analysis
Collingwood receive Cameron Wood
Melbourne receive pick 14
Brisbane receive Travis Johnstone
Why for Collingwood: They need another ruckman, they got a tall one who is a lot more advanced in his development than any player drafted at pick 14 would be.
Why for Melbourne: Coach Bailey is sending out a couple of things, he is sending out the older players and also sending a message to those who remain. Pick 14 should provide them with a very good player.
Why for Brisbane: Wood wasn't needed, Charman was signed to a new contract and Leuenberger could become the best ruckman in the AFL. Johnstone gives them another veteran midfielder and along with Power, Black and others he should send a steady supply of the football to Brown.
Carlton receive Chris Judd and pick 46
West Coast receive picks 3 and 20 and Josh Kennedy
Why for Carlton: It's the first big thing they have done there, on the player acquisition front, since trading for Greg Williams. He brought them a Brownlow and a premiership and they will expect Judd to do the same, although the first part will be a lot easier than the team winning in September.
Why for West Coast: They did get plenty for him, they should get two future stars with the picks and Kennedy is also a former number 4 overall draft pick too. Morton, Masten, Palmer or Cotchin will be the player who goes at pick 3.
Melbourne receive John Meesen
Adelaide receive pick 37
Why for Melbourne: A former top 10 pick who measures in at around 200cm, a bargain when it only costs pick 37. The Demons need to get him in the weight room, and away from the computer. The Demons' new coach should know what he is getting, as he would have scouted Meesen’s games in the SANFL.
Why for Adelaide: He was already out the door, and pick 37 is a better return than getting nothing through the preseason draft. The Crows have added a couple of picks, maybe they keep them but they could also trade for Moran and Symes, two players who play the same positions as Meesen and Mattner.
Sydney receive Martin Mattner
Adelaide receive pick 28
Why for Sydney: The Swans can go for one more win with this current group and adding a few more veterans is the right strategy. Malceski and Kennelly can play in the middle more, with Mattner taking over their role in the back line.
Why for Adelaide: They were not playing him regularly so it made sense to move him along and get something useful for him. The Crows need to get younger and start again and an extra pick in the second round will help. There will be a number of exciting players still around at pick 28.
Trade verdict: An even deal that will help both teams, the Swans get the slight edge now and if Mattner helps them get a cup again then that will make the Swans the winner from the trade. The Crows can also come out of this as the winner if they use the pick wisely on draft day.
It's all over, and now the Daily Judd has it's final issue. Carlton are happy, and West Coast got as much as they could for him, now the Eagles can plan for the draft and they have a lot of picks to use.
Carlton can start putting Judd's picture on everything, especially their membership information. He should bring in a large number of extra members next season. Judd should also get them into the finals in 2008 or 2009, and maybe in 2011 they are battling the Tigers in the Grand Final.
_____________________________ ___________
Some interesting notes from his first press conference with "this club":
When he was a kid he had a dislike of the interstate teams.
He had not given much thought to Josh Kennedy, it would seem that nobody had.
Judd doesn't want to be the captain, if Carlton were smart they wouldn't wait and would give it to Waite.
He doesn't want to be a "rock star", Carlton already have someone for that anyway.
Judd is looking forward to playing in the big games at the MCG against Collingwood and Essendon, and you can assume the Collingwood fans are looking forward to it too.
It may take a while for him to get used to being a Carlton player, and he struggled to even say the name of "this club". If he looks in the ruck and sees Ackland or Cloke, he will soon realize he isn't an Eagle.
_____________________________ ___________
In the very first issue of the Daily Judd, a trade of Judd for Kennedy and pick 3 was suggested. While the Bulldogs and a bunch of other players were also in that trade prediction, at least the team he went to and the main part of the package in return was correctly guessed.
This could be a trade where everyone wins. Cameron Wood goes to Collingwood, Travis Johnstone goes to Brisbane and pick 14 is now owned by Melbourne.
Travis Johnstone might get a bit of a shock, as he is used to the relaxed atmosphere they had at Melbourne under Daniher, and he now enters Lethal's realm. But there could be something that makes it a smooth transition for Johnstone, he and Coach Matthews have a connection through Chelsea, Victoria so they might have a bit in common.
Johnstone also has some new teammates who know how to play, so Johnstone won't be a number 1 pick trying to get a team to a premiership for the first time in many decades, he is now a complimentary player to Power, Black, Lappin and some of their young onballers like Rischitelli and Adcock. It’s all up to Johnstone, but the fresh start should be good for him .
Melbourne now have picks 4, 14 and 21. That is a good way for a new coach to come into a club, sending out the old and bringing in not only the young but the young that were drafted with some of the highest picks.
Collingwood get the big ruck prospect that they needed. The Magpies can start with Fraser taking the first bounce, after a few minutes he moves into the forward line and Collingwood can bring on their taller ruckman. It should be a very effective combination.
"Our thoughts were that Cameron is a 204cm ruckman, and that's an area that we needed to support," Collingwood recruiting manager Derek Hine told collingwoodfc.com.au.
Johnstone is the highest profile Melbourne player to shift clubs since Shane Woewodin was traded to Collingwood at the end of the 2002 season – coincidentally for selection No.14, which resulted in the recruitment of defender Daniel Bell.
Judd goes into the centre square at Carlton and is probably joined by ruckman Matthew Kreuzer as well as Nick Stevens and Marc Murphy. Pick 46 is going to be useful too, and if the Blues can put some of their immense resources into scouting players they could find a future star.
The Eagles get Josh Kennedy, and they will put him in the line of players that includes Mitch Brown as backups for Hansen and Lynch. Pick 3 could be big news on draft day, as Richmond have Morton-itis and probably take Cale, especially if they have already traded for Mitch. That means Trent Cotchin could be the pick, although Rhys Palmer might be a better option. Pick 20 will probably get them another star, and several WA key position prospects will be available there, but they are loaded when it comes to young tall forwards and defenders. A ruckman could be the way to go at pick 20 for the Eagles.
Melbourne have added ruckman John Meesen as the second official trade this week has been announced. Meesen was going to walk in the preseason draft, so the Crows at least got something for him with pick 37 going to Adelaide.
Meesen went at pick 8 in the 2004 AFL draft, between a couple of Jordans as Hawthorn took Lewis and Carlton took Russell. Meesen was going to get an opportunity to win a regular spot this season but an injury set him back and Griffin joined Hudson in the team.
The Demons will get a player who can play in the ruck and also deep in the forward line. Meesen will be competing with Paul Johnson and Mark Jamar to backup White, and also play beside Neitz and Robertson up forward.
General Manager of Recruiting and List Management Craig Cameron told melbournefc.com.au, “We are very pleased that we were able to strike a deal to get John to join the Club. John is an outstanding runner and at only 21 years of age, has plenty of potential to become a long term player with the Melbourne Football Club.”
Cameron Wood could go to Collingwood, that would be a great trade for the Magpies. Melbourne would receive pick 14, they need to rebuild and adding another top 20 pick is what they need to do. Brisbane would be the third team in the deal and their return would be Travis Johnstone and possibly another player, a bit of a risky move but it could work for the Lions.
Collingwood need to judge Wood against who is going to be there at pick 14. When it comes to a ruckman, which is Collingwood's priority, the options might be Bellchambers, Simpson or Sullivan. Trading the pick for Wood gives Collingwood a player who is several more years advanced than a drafted player and he can make an impact for them in round 1.
Wood was pick 18 by Brisbane in 2004. Considering that McIntosh and Laycock, who were first round picks in 2002, took until this past season to really produce, Collingwood could get a player who has done the majority of his learning at Brisbane and after only a year or two could be one of the better ruckmen in the AFL.
Pick 14 is in a good part of the draft for Melbourne, if they do get the extra selection. Whatever position they need to address there will be a star prospect still available. As well as having the choice of the ruckmen listed above, various midfielders like Grimes and Greenwood could be there while key position players with good potential would be around in large numbers.
Brisbane stated they wanted a midfielder who had some size, Johnstone isn't small and is similar in height to Voss and Black. The Swans have been successful in bringing in players for the end of their careers, and also getting a few more years out of them than expected, and the Lions might be hoping that Johnstone helps them like Paul Williams did for the Swans.
During Grand Final week, it was King all the way for the Cats as they chose the veteran ruckman over Mark Blake. Now the word "retirement" is being thrown around as the Cats can't afford to keep King and don't seem to be very interested in working out a trade.
King should be able to find a new team in the preseason draft, if a trade doesn't happen. Smaller ruckmen McLaren and Ackland have been the top pick in some of the recent preseason drafts, compared to them King brings a lot more size and also a premiership win so plenty of teams would consider him as a preseason pick.
A source said with no interest from other clubs at the trade table, it left Geelong with little option but to ask King, through manager Ricky Nixon, to retire.
``They were thinking about keeping him for another year,'' the source said. ``After Blake signed, they think they don't need to offer him (King) anything.''
Nothing has been announced as to why Judd wanted Carlton, but the word "culture" has been used by some people to describe why he didn't want to join several other Victorian teams. The word "facilities" was also used as a reason why he wouldn't play for Melbourne.
The "culture" and "facilities" at MC Hammer Park are not the best.
If Judd wants to win, he will have to be patient for a year, or three, as Kreuzer will take time. So winning right now is not high on his list. The Magpies and Bombers would have given him a much better chance to win now, and he saw what they could do in round 22 and also in the finals when those teams were at Subiaco.
The big part of the story is how he gets to Carlton, assuming a trade does happen, but another thing that people will want to know is why he wants to play there.
Carlton will hand over 20-year-old Kennedy and pick 3 and 20 in the pre-season draft for the Eagles captain who quit the club last month to return to Melbourne.
Maybe in a few hours this will be officially announced.
West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett, who confirmed Kennedy met with Eagles coach John Worsfold and the football department, said all the club could do now was sit and wait.
There was more talking than the combined efforts of Oprah, Maury and Montell but very little action. Richmond want every small player they can get, with Rhan Hooper at the top of their list and possibly Jordan McMahon on there too. Collingwood seem to be very serious in their search for another ruckman, and their first rounder for Cameron Wood would be a good deal.
The Bulldogs seem to have Hudson and Callan. Callan will only cost them a very low pick, so the Bulldogs get a good deal there, while at Geelong they sort of replace one father/son player with another as they will take Donohue at the end of the draft. Hudson is supposed to cost either a second rounder, which might be too high a price to pay due to his age, or a third rounder. It could be somewhere between those selections if they acquire a pick by trading away McMahon or Sam Power.
The Crows could be going after Brad Symes, and he would be a solid replacement for Mattner, who is on his way to Sydney. The Power also have White who could be traded, while Willits is another that could move but nothing has been heard about him.
Schneider is probably on the way to St Kilda, and if Coach Lyon wants another Swan or two he could get them to bolster the Saints' midfield.
Expect some trades to be announced tomorrow, and then the mad rush after lunch on Friday will complete another strange trade week.
Brisbane's Richard Hadley missed several years due to injury but in 2007 he showed he still had a lot to offer. A few teams also have a lot to offer him, and Hadley could be changing clubs.
Carlton probably don't need him, unless they are trading other midfielders like Bentick or Blackwell. If they get Judd, and Stevens is healthy, they would have plenty of midfield options with Murphy, Gibbs, Carrazzo, Walker, Jackson, Grigg and players they draft.
He got a Grand Final appearance, and now he might get sent out. Steven King could be leaving Geelong as the much younger Mark Blake looks like staying there.
If Collingwood do not trade for Brisbane's Cameron Wood, they might look at King as a cheaper option. The Saints continue to look for help in the ruck too, but King would only be a short-term player just like M Clarke and Gardiner.
It seems to be working out well for King, he got a Grand Final win, will probably get more money if he does move to a new club and would play more games too.
St Kilda could turn its attention to King, with general manager of football development Tony Elshaug saying his age -- King will turn 29 next month -- would not necessarily be an issue.
The Hawks were chasing Carlton defender Bret Thornton a year ago when he was out of contract and supposedly the chase is back on.
Hawthorn have Croad, Gilham and Brown, with Dawson and Renouf in the VFL, so there isn't a huge need there for tall defenders.
Statistically, Thornton is one of the biggest losers in the AFL. His winning percentage is very low, and he has also played a huge amount of games without ever playing in a final. It isn’t all Thornton’s fault, as he has been on some very poor teams, but it still wouldn’t be something that Hawthorn would really want to add.
A year ago, it seemed that Hawthorn's final offer to Carlton was to trade picks 24 and 33 for Thornton. The Hawks ended up using those picks on Renouf and J Morton.
The talk now is that Thornton for Boyle could be the offer. Boyle is expendable, as Hawthorn have Thorp, but they can probably trade for a draft pick and find a bigger and more athletic defender than Thornton.
The Hawks — who convinced Thornton to join them 12 months ago, only for both to be denied at the 11th hour by Carlton's refusal to trade — inquired about the 23-year-old on Monday and are expected to take their interest further once the Blues finalise the Chris Judd deal, which may be tomorrow.
Issue #23: The Eagles Don't Have A Spot For Mr Kennedy
He is from WA, but there is no other reason why the Eagles would want Carlton's Josh Kennedy. There is the Big Q, the good luck charm in Hansen, Nathan Brown's brother Mitch and a few other tall prospects. If Kennedy agrees to the move, he will just see out his current contract as a player in the WAFL.
With Carlton's team, they do really need someone like Kennedy at centre half forward, but the Carlton smalls have tunnel vision and send everything over Kennedy's head. So while the Eagles won't be a good fit for him, staying at Carlton may not be the best idea for Kennedy either.
If Kennedy wants to remain in the city of Melbourne, then the Demons, Saints, Bulldogs and possibly the Kangaroos could give him more opportunity. The Crows and Swans need tall forwards too.
Carlton could send Kennedy out in the Judd trade, but he could take a detour to another club and the Eagles could get another draft pick. St Kilda might be the best spot, as Kennedy could take over from Gehrig as their full forward.
While the Eagles' officials were not specific on the compensation they are demanding in return for losing Judd, Carlton's national draft selection three and key-forward Josh Kennedy are central to clinching the deal.
_____________________________ ___________
Judd Builders
Plenty of Juddness all around the world, here is a company that builds houses. Just like the footballer, they are high quality and cost a bit more.
The Swans kept up their momentum in trade week with getting the Mattner deal completed while also producing a few names for other clubs to think about. Buchanan, Schneider and J Bolton are available.
The Bulldogs have an agreement with Geelong for Callan, but what the Cats receive is not known yet. Hudson is nearly a Bulldog too.
Richmond are still chasing people called Morton, Collingwood would want Wood if Brisbane want to talk to them and nobody wants Travis Johnstone.
Apparently the Hawks are popular at the moment too, with a lot of teams calling about Boyle, and smaller forwards Williams and McGlynn have also been mentioned.
AFL Trade Analysis
Sydney receive Martin Mattner
Adelaide receive pick 28
Why for Sydney: The Swans can go for one more win with this current group and adding a few more veterans is the right strategy. Malceski and Kennelly can play in the middle more, with Mattner taking over their role in the back line.
Why for Adelaide: They were not playing him regularly so it made sense to move him along and get something useful for him. The Crows need to get younger and start again and an extra pick in the second round will help. There will be a number of exciting players still around at pick 28.
Trade verdict: An even deal that will help both teams, the Swans get the slight edge now and if Mattner helps them get a cup again then that will make the Swans the winner from the trade. The Crows can also come out of this as the winner if they use the pick wisely on draft day.
The Swans brought a bit of excitement to trade week as they announced that midfielder Jude Bolton is on the trading block.
Jude isn't the best Bolton on the Swans, and if the Swans are going to get a bit younger and faster in the middle they will need to move along a player or two.
Collingwood have lost a few of their veteran midfielders and might think that Jude Bolton would be a good addition. A Jude Bolton for Brad Miller trade might help Melbourne and Sydney. The Swans could also try packaging J Bolton and pick 11 to move up nearer the top of the draft. Ben McEvoy, who would probably be there at pick 4 but would be very unlikely to last until pick 11, would give Sydney some help around the forward line now and someone who can replace Hall in a few years.
The Bulldogs, who have pick 5, are also looking to add some bigger bodies to the midfield and might have an interest in J Bolton.
Sydney premiership player Jude Bolton has become the latest key midfielder to feature in the AFL's trade week as the Swans try to satisfy their need for speed.
Coach Paul Roos confirmed the 27-year-old was on the table, but said Bolton would go at a high price.
The Bulldogs have been one of the more active clubs in trade discussions, and that is something they need to do if they are to turn around their team. While Hudson and Damon White are some players they are after, another of their targets was Geelong’s Tim Callan. According to the Cats, Callan will be joining the Bulldogs.
While nothing is official yet, the trade must be for a draft pick. This pick could come from the Bulldogs, or maybe it will come from another club if the Bulldogs trade Power or McMahon.
Callan, who joined the club in 2002 under the father-son rule, will join the Western Bulldogs after the Cats’ recruiting manager Stephen Wells confirmed the two clubs had agreed on the transfer, with only the details of the transaction to be sorted.
“The two clubs and Tim have all agreed that Tim will be playing for the Bulldogs but we haven’t finalised exactly what the deal will be yet,” Wells said.
If this is the trade that gets done, Mattner to Sydney for pick 28, it is a fair deal that should help both teams. The Crows need to rebuild, and getting extra picks in the top 40 selections will help. The Swans get a player who steps right into their team, and his running ability and use of the ball will make him a perfect fit with Sydney.
With this pick now gone, the Swans might have to use players to trade for Brad Miller or any other players they are after. The Demons could use the Schneider Man, so maybe something happens there.
If there is a player available at the moment that can really help a team but isn't getting a lot of publicity it is Ryan Murphy. The Fremantle Dockers forward was a big contributor for them in 2006 but disappeared after Tarrant was added. Reportedly out of contract, he is one of the few Dockers that is being shopped.
The Saints have the full forward spot open with Gehrig gone, the Bulldogs are looking at Damon White but Murphy might be a better option and Melbourne are another team that needs a few more forwards.
Essendon and Fremantle have shown that they can make deals happen, and if the Dockers again want to bring over a former Bomber or two then Ryan Murphy could get it done, with the Bombers then trading Murphy to the third team in the deal for something that they require.
The Herald Sun newspaper has published a few more results from the recent AFL draft camp.
Agility
1. Aaron Joseph 7.91 sec
2. Lachlan Hill 8.05 sec
3. Clayton Hinkley 8.07 sec
4. Tom Collier 8.22 sec
5. Jackson Hall 8.26 sec
6. Andy Otten 8.29 sec
7. Scott Selwood 8.32 sec
8. Brendan Whitecross 8.36 sec
9. Callan Ward 8.38 sec
10. Steven Gaertner 8.39 sec
Repeat 30 Metre Sprints
1. Chris Kangars 23.59 secs
2. Patrick Dangerfield 23.96 sec
3. Cyril Rioli 24.01 sec
4. Lachlan Hall 24.08 sec
5. Haelen Kay 24.17 sec
6. David Gourdis 24.22 sec
7. Levi Greenwood 24.22 sec
8. Brendan Whitecross 24.25 sec
9. Chris Mayne 24.37 sec
10. Joel Smouha 24.48 sec
Vertical Jump
1. David Gourdis 81cm
2. Lachlan Hill 74cm
3. Patrick Dangerfield 73cm
4. James Mulligan 72cm
5. Levi Greenwood 71cm
6. Matthew Lobbe 70cm
Steven Gaertner 70cm
Simon Starling 70cm
9. Robbie Tarrant 68cm
James Polkinghorne 68cm
Mitchell Farmer 68cm
20-Metre Sprint
1. David Gourdis 2.83 sec
2. Steven Gaertner 2.88 sec
Clayton Hinkley 2.88 sec
4. Jarrad Grant 2.89 sec
5. Brendan Whitecross 2.91 sec
Aaron Joseph 2.91 sec
7. Tayte Pears 2.92 sec
Patrick Dangerfield 2.92 sec
9. Jarrhan Jacky 2.93 sec
10. David Zaharakis 2.94 sec
Shuttle Run (Beep test)
1. Cale Morton 15.2
2. Joel Smouha 15.1
3. Brendan Whitecross 14.10
4. Clayton Hinkley 14.9
5. Rhys Palmer 14.8
Nick Murphy 14.8
7. Scott Selwood 14.7
8. Chris Kangars 14.5
9. Patrick McGinnity 14.4
10. Matthew Lobbe 14.3
Scott Simpson 14.3
3km Time Trial
1. Joel Smouha 10min 23sec
2. Rhys Palmer 10.25
3. Cale Morton 10.32
4. Hugh Sandilands 10.42
5. Nick Murphy 10.48
6. Scott Selwood 10.49
Patrick McGinnity 10.49
Matthew Lobbe 10.49
9. Matthew Kreuzer 10.51
10. Tony Armstrong 10.54
Chris Kangars 10.54
The place may be under new management now, but there is something that has been part of Carlton for many years, and Judd may have a problem with it. The club revolves around their full forward.
If there is one thing that will cause a problem for Judd, it is a territorial dispute over who is "the biggest dog in the yard". Even when the wooden spoons were accumulating, it didn't stop Fevola seeming to be bigger than the club. When, or if, Judd signs it will make him the highest-paid player there. The media spotlight will also shift from the full forward with the restaurant to the new midfield leader who gets the ball 30 times a game.
Judd may not want to be seen as it being his ship now, he's the top dog, the big man, the numero uno honcho, the head cheese, but he will be and his new teammates are going to have to adjust because they weren't winning when he wasn't there.
"One of the things we were very clear on today was that we just felt that was the easiest way to go," he said of the decision to keep discussions restricted to the two clubs.
a high technology wire company, specializing in the use of electron beam cross-linked thermosets for wire insulation. By applying irradiation cross-linked technology to insulating materials, Judd Wire meets the needs of the wire and cable industry for economical, high-performance products.
There isn't a team in the AFL that wouldn't benefit from having some "electron beam cross-linked thermosets".
Nothing to see here, no official trade announcements have been made.
The closest thing to news was the announcement that Martin Mattner wants out of Adelaide and would like to be traded to Sydney. Mattner certainly fell out of favour at Adelaide this season, although few know why that happened. Mattner does seem a good fit for how the Swans play.
"Marty only advised us this morning that he wanted to go to Sydney - he's under contract, of course," said Crows football manager John Reid.
Most teams seemed to take the day off, and maybe they slept in after watching Chuck Norris star in Lone Wolf McQuade, so it was good to see Sydney making an effort. Not just Mattner, but they have also been looking at Brad Miller and possibly Kane Tenace and Justin Sherman. There was the Travis Johnstone talk a few days ago too. For Melbourne, it seems that Johnstone is the new version of Woewodin.
The Swans probably want to promote a rookie or two, like Ed Barlow and Luke Brennan, and also bring in young prospect Craig Bird, so there isn't a lot of space on their list to add too many players from other clubs, unless they send out a few of their own. Buchanan and Schneider have been mentioned.
Ruckmen will be part of some of the biggest trades this week but premiership player Darren Jolly won't be part of it. He is staying with the Swans.
Cameron Wood, Mark Blake or maybe Steven King, John Meesen and Ben Hudson are some of the ruckmen who could be changing clubs via a trade or during the preseason draft. Wood could be a Magpie or Crow, and the Crows might be the favourite there because Meesen is reportedly on the way to Melbourne while Hudson is expected to become a Bulldog. The Cats probably can't afford to keep both Blake and King, due to salary cap constraints.
The Sydney ruckman, who started his career with Melbourne, had been contemplating a return to Victoria for family reasons but instead has committed his long-term future to the Swans, who offered the certainty of a four-year contract to keep their 2005 premiership player.
The father/son selections went according to plan as the teams that nominated the players now officially have them. Only the Bombers were required to use a higher selection than their last pick, as Darcy Daniher will go in the third round of the AFL draft.
The Kangaroos were willing to use pick 32 on Daniher, so Essendon then had to use pick 39 to secure him according to the new bidding rules. Why the Kangaroos wanted Daniher is an interesting question, talls for their forward line isn't a big requirement, there is also the idea that the Kangaroos were just a number of teams that didn't want Essendon to get a player cheaply.
The Cats now have another father/son player to add to the many they already have, with Adam Donohue on the way. Collingwood add a father/son player who for once doesn't have the last name Cloke or Shaw, there have been a few of those in the past decade. Jaxson Barham will be a Magpie next season.
Essendon will use their third round national draft pick, No.39 overall, to recruit Darcy Daniher, the son of Anthony, who was one of four brothers to play for the club, along with Terry, Neale and Chris.
The excuses mobile is starting to warm up, and some clubs are already blaming Judd for "holding up trades". Some crazy stuff, from the AFL site.
Brisbane's Graeme Allan:
I think the Chris Judd deal is going to take a fair bit of time and I think everything is going to revolve around that.
Hawthorn's Gary Buckenara:
A lot will depend on the Chris Judd deal; usually that one big deal tends to hold up everything else and all the deals get done after that one.
What are these people talking about, they need to get busy and look after their clubs. Justin Sherman for Brent Renouf, there is an idea for them. Sherman replaces Dixon up forward for Hawthorn, Renouf moves to the back line with Brisbane.
Richmond football director Greg Miller said the Tigers expected Carlton to seal the Judd deal, but would remain "an interested bystander" as talks unfold.
"We're interested for a number of reasons, we're interested in who has No. 1 (in the national draft) and what that means for our No. 2 pick."
Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett hinted yesterday for the first time that his club might drop demands for Carlton's cherished first pick in next month's national draft.
Name: Tony Notte
Height: 194
Weight: 70
State: Western Australia
Club(s): Swan Districts
AFL Positions:
Full forward or centre half forward, Notte should become a star player whether it is in the goal-square or up the ground more.
Perfect Fit For:
The Cats don't need someone to contribute right away, so they can develop Notte along with Hawkins as their forward line of the future. Hawkins at full forward, Notte at centre half forward, it would work.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
Might just get into the first round, as the teams who played deep into the finals can afford to take a player who might be several years away, in terms of getting stronger for the AFL. The Power could see him as someone who can eventually take over from Tredrea, and he might be there when they pick towards the end of the first round.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
There will be a time when fantasy coaches want to sign him up, but it is unlikely to be 2008. He can take marks and kick goals but he won't be asked to do a lot next season.
1: Geelong Cats (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
They won, so they will probably stay up the top in the Power Rankings for quite a while.
2: Collingwood Magpies (3)
Some big retirements, but they have been drafting well and have players like Reid to step in.
3: Sydney Swans (7)
If they add a quality veteran or two, they might become the number 1 contender to Geelong's title.
4: Hawthorn Hawks (5)
Their young stars are now a year older, with more experience and strength. So the team should be even better in 2008.
5: Port Adelaide Power (2)
If they can find another quality tall forward, it might get them back into the Grand Final.
6: West Coast Eagles (6)
They could be finished, but they still have one of the best players in the league, Dean Cox, and should be able to reload with trades and the drafts.
7: Fremantle Dockers (11)
They kept Pavlich, and nearly all their other players, so the Dockers have the talent to win but they need their new coach to sort some people out, and that is why the Dockers signed him up.
8: Brisbane Lions (10)
As long as Brown is there, they can beat anyone. The Charman/Leuenberger ruck combo could dominate soon, and if that means 2008 then the Lions can get into the top 4.
9: Kangaroos (4)
Laidley had one good year, and a lot of disappointing ones. In terms of his contract, it was good timing for the one good year.
10: St Kilda Saints (9)
When Gehrig waved goodbye, he left a big hole in the forward line for the Saints that will be difficult to fill. Koschitzke could be the answer, but then the ruck is again a huge problem. Maybe the Saints can trade for immediate help, or maybe Fergus Watts is ready to step up.
11: Carlton Blues (16)
This is assuming they have pick 1 and also Chris Judd. But if they do even better than just acquiring The Juddster in trade week, then a spot in the top 8 is a real chance.
12: Essendon Bombers (12)
If their big, and old, stars at both ends of the ground play every game in 2008 they will make the finals.
13: Adelaide Crows (8)
Their window isn't just closed, the shutters have also been locked in place, so they won't be contending for a premiership for a while.
14: Richmond Tigers (15)
Maybe they can make an impact in trade week, and if in a week's time they have picks 2 and 3 it will be a good result.
15: Western Bulldogs (13)
One of the first rules in sports, except in Mexican midget wrestling, is to always prefer height when building a team. The Bulldogs don't really have anyone to replace Grant and Darcy, and they had plenty of time to prepare for their retirements.
16: Melbourne Demons (14)
Some team's have a cleanout with as much ferocity as Alice The Housekeeper sweeping the Brady's kitchen, the Demons' new coach needs to tear into the place like a tornado.
October will have a couple of Power Rankings posts, one before trade week, and then one after the pieces have all fallen into place. So expect a bit of change from the above list as the winners and losers of trade week move around the Power Rankings.
After trade week there should be a few AFL mock drafts appearing in newspapers and on the internet. Here are the possible picks for the first 11 selections in the AFL draft, from The Age newspaper.
If Carlton hangs tough, and holds on to its No. 1 pick, Matthew Kreuzer will become a Blue within the first few seconds of draft day. But if the Blues relinquish it to the Eagles, another player, such as onballer Trent Cotchin, could be the first name called.
1 Matthew Kreuzer
2 Trent Cotchin
3 Cale Morton
4 Lachie Henderson
5 Jarrad Grant
6 Ben McEvoy
7 Chris Masten
8 Rhys Palmer
9 David Myers
10 Brad Ebert
11 Cyril Rioli
Feel free to post your own AFL mock draft via the comments area below, or alert everyone to a mock draft on the internet by posting a link in the comments section.
It seems that in recent years there has been an illogical need for three or four teams to be involved in a trade, and that either causes the negotiations to last until Friday or for the trade to fall through.
There was talk that the Judd trade talks would hold up other deals, but that doesn't make sense. Only three teams seem to be part of that, and on Monday that should quickly become two teams, so the other thirteen should be thinking about something else now.
Some of the teams that missed out on Judd should be the first to make other deals on Monday. Melbourne could get Meesen early in trade week, Essendon could be sending out a player or two to Fremantle, Collingwood were close to being Judd's preferred team but now they can target a ruckman and Wood from Brisbane or a Cat might be who they get.
Judd and his management are believed to be desperate for the Eagles and Carlton to strike a suitable trade within 36 hours of the trade period starting on Monday morning.
So if the short-term question is how Judd will get to Carlton -- and there is still any number of ways that might be answered depending on when the Blues and the Eagles decide to play nice -- the more pertinent one is what impact will Judd have at Princes Park once he pulls on a navy blue jumper for the very first time?
This will be the money shot for a football club that has endured what Denis Pagan, its most recent departing coach, called the bleakest period in its history.
RICHMOND legend Kevin Bartlett has urged his old club to ignore any trade deal to help arch-enemy Carlton get Chris Judd and do whatever it can to lure the former West Coast captain to Tigerland.
Saverio Rocca's Philadelphia Eagles have not been functioning too well on offense, which means he had plenty of opportunities to kick the ball. He has yet to kick at his best, but as the stats show, his numbers are very similar to Ben Graham. Expect both players to increase their yardage, although they may not get close to McBriar's numbers.
The Eagles and Jets are both at 1 win and 3 losses, while the Dallas Cowboys have won all 4 of their games.
Steve Johnson is supposedly better than Nick Riewoldt, so are Cameron Ling and Matthew Egan. The Herald Sun's top 50 players lists always get people talking and that is again the case.
Jonathan Brown, Dean Cox, Nick Riewoldt, Chad Cornes and Matthew Pavlich would be the players you would pick first to start a team. They also starred this season, as they always do.
The AFL have released another draft camp test result. A few interesting results that could alter a couple of picks in the 2007 AFL draft. Here are the AFL results from the 3km run.
Joel Smouha – Mt Gravatt (10.23)
Rhys Palmer – East Fremantle (10.25)
Cale Morton – Claremont (10.32)
Tom Collier – Tassie Mariners (10.38)
Hugh Sandilands – Oakleigh Chargers (10.42)
Nick Murphy – South Adelaide (10.48)
Clayton Hinkley – North Ballarat Rebels (10.49)
Matthew Lobbe – Eastern Ranges (10.49)
Scott Selwood – Bendigo Pioneers (10.49)
Matthew Kreuzer – Northern Knights (10.51)
Palmer and Morton again show their running ability, they will be competing to be the first player from WA taken in the draft. Morton will be ahead of Palmer with most teams, but there are others who will prefer Palmer.
Tom Collier might have given teams something to think about, in terms of the positions that he can play. While often considered to be a defender, this result could have more teams thinking he can play in the midfield a lot more.
Joel Smouha puts together another big result. There is no real reason why he won't be taken in the second round, he has size and athleticism and his football skills are there too. Teams won't have seen a lot of him, but he would have impressed them when they did scout him.
Kreuzer is another tall who finished high in the results. No matter what is reported on TV, he is going first in the draft.
He is famous again, Lochlan Veale. A quick reminder of when the Bulldogs had a plan to make sure a player made it into the preseason draft so the Bulldogs could take them.
Jade Rawlings, of Hawthorn, had put a couple of good games together and was looking for big money and a trade to the Kangaroos. The Bulldogs traded with Hawthorn, and Essendon was also part of the deal, and the Hawks didn't trade Rawlings. The Bulldogs were able to draft Rawlings in the preseason draft, and it was downhill for them after that as Rawlings was a lot worse than bad. It was more of a Will Smith plan than a Hannibal Smith plan that the Bulldogs had. There are few things worse for a club than having to pay a player to not play for them.
But now, while the plan could be the same, the target is certainly different. Judd is not Rawlings.
The Australian yesterday learned of the plan to involve a third club -- Richmond -- which would provide win-win situations for both Carlton and the Tigers but would freeze out the Eagles, who could end up with nothing in compensation for losing their 2004 Brownlow medallist.
The Blues have second pick in the pre-season draft and hope that, in the event they secure Judd in a trade, they will have room for at least one more acquisition. Like Richmond, they have significant room in the salary cap.
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The Eagles Are Over A Barrel
Richmond could have picks 2 and 3, Carlton could have Judd and a later Richmond pick and the Eagles could have nothing. Advantage Carlton, so expect the Eagles to agree to a trade early next week, which should help a lot more trades happen.
Here is how big of a barrel the Blues have the Eagles over. It is a big one, around 220,000 litres.(Picture from wikipedia)
It might as well be called "The Tom Hawkins Rule", the new AFL system of bidding for father/son players. But Geelong should be able to draft another player even with the new rule as their choice, Adam Donohue, isn't attracting attention from many other teams.
Collingwood should also be able to get their player, Jaxson Barham, with their final pick of the AFL draft. Darcy Daniher's move to Essendon should be a bit more eventful, and Essendon will probably need to use a fourth or even third round pick to secure him.
THE AFL wishes to advise the following players have been nominated for this year's 2007 NAB AFL Draft under the provisions of the father/son rule: Jaxson Barham (Geelong Falcons) - Collingwood, Darcy Daniher (Calder Cannons) - Essendon and Adam Donohue (Geelong Falcons) - Geelong.
The bidding meeting for these nominated players will be at 10am on Monday, October 8, before the commencement to Trade Week.
Arguably Collingwood’s greatest ever, and certainly the most decorated Magpie of the last 50 years, Buckley came to the decision in recent days after pondering his future following the team’s preliminary final loss.
He won the Norm Smith medal in Collingwood's grand final loss to Brisbane in 2002, the Brownlow Medal in 2003 and was voted Collingwood best and fairest player six times.
The Magpies' most decorated player was joined at a press conference at the club's headquarters by tearful club president Eddie McGuire, who made the formal announcement, coach Mick Malthouse, and members of his family to confirm his illustrious career was over.
21 Melbourne: Steven Gaertner (196cm, 83kg)
Melbourne need to load up with taller players in this draft and they will have a lot to choose from. With Neitz at the end of his career, Brad Miller looking elsewhere, Lynden Dunn being switched to the midfield, the Demons need to draft key position prospects.
Gaertner is a high-flying player who can take a mark in a pack, or over a pack. He should be a versatile player at AFL level, possibly a more athletic version of Sam Gilbert, so the Demons could use Gaertner in many positions.
It has been a long time since anyone but Daniher has been the coach at Melbourne, so the Demons should bring a new strategy to the draft and also for trade week.
22 Western Bulldogs: Dawson Simpson (205cm, 97kg)
The Bulldogs are not in a good position at the moment, and plenty of the blame has to go to their recruiting ideas. Maybe they will have some review of their operations, that will cost a lot and take plenty of time, but there is a simple answer. They are too short. A simple, but effective, remedy will be to just draft the biggest players they can find, and here is the biggest.
Simpson looks like he will not only be a very tall ruckman but eventually he could be one of the strongest as well. A Monkhorst-like player, but with more height, is something the Bulldogs need.
If Simpson takes a few years to become a regular player it could be good timing, as Street will probably be gone then, as will Ben Hudson if they do acquire him during the trade period.
23 Essendon: Scott Simpson (194cm, 91kg)
Their new coach is said to have a plan to win now, as well as later. Lucas and Lloyd are the forwards the Bombers will rely on to win now, and they might use a pick or two to find some forwards to develop to eventually replace them.
Simpson knows where to move around the forward line and gives his teammates a target to kick to. In a few years, Simpson could be the third tall forward at the Bombers, providing another option around half forward with Gumbleton the main option.
The result of the father/son bidding could also change what happens with this pick, if they are getting Darcy Daniher then they may want a different type of player at this pick. There is also the chance that this pick is used to draft Daniher too.
24 Fremantle: David Gourdis (193cm, 88kg)
The Dockers can go into the draft with the knowledge that with every pick there will be a local player worth taking. Despite trading for Tarrant a year ago, and also extending the contract of Campbell, the Dockers can use another tall forward as the health of Longmuir is a concern for them.
Gourdis is an athletic centre half forward, but has the ability to play in the back half too. Comparing him to a current Fremantle player, he is similar to Luke McPharlin but would play further out from goal.
The Dockers continue to sign most of their players and it has been reported that they won't do a lot in trade week. So expect Fremantle to keep their picks this time, and maybe add a pick or two by trading someone like Ryan Murphy.
25 Brisbane: Chris Kangars (193cm, 84kg)
The Lions had some success last season after putting Brennan back into the forward line there, while that move did provide help for Brown it did take away height and athleticism from their back line. Kangars is similar to Brennan, although he is probably faster, but they are both athletes with the height of a key position player.
Kangars would also have the ability to play in the midfield at times. With his size and pace he could shut down a player when used as a defensive midfielder.
At this part of the draft, there should be a number of players from Queensland who are considered by the Lions. For the obvious reason of eliminating the "go home factor", it makes sense for the Lions to draft local. There should be several tall prospects from Queensland worth this pick as well as one or two onballers.
Brad Ottens was great in the Grand Final win by Geelong, and his chase and tackle was one of the plays of the day, but it had been done before.
Here is John Ironmonger running as hard as he can on Grand Final day, and like Ottens it was on the outer wing of the MCG, but this time Geelong were on the receiving end.
Nobody should feel sorry for the Eagles in terms of players moving because of the "go home factor". West Coast have loaded up their list with players returning to Western Australia ever since they have been in the league.
Here are some players who could be targetted by the Eagles in the coming years and asked to return to WA:
Nathan van Berlo: The Eagles got Stenglein from Adelaide, and could get another midfielder from there too.
Matthew Leuenberger: West Coast is lucky that they have Dean Cox, they might chase Leuenberger to be his future successor.
Paul Bower: Maybe they get Kennedy now, and Bower in a year or two.
Shannon Cox: It won't be easy for the Eagles to trade for a Magpie, just like it wasn't going to go smoothly if Judd had wanted Collingwood.
Scott Gumbleton: The Bombers are loaded with talent from WA, without Sheedy there to keep it together there is a chance that the Eagles grab a few of them in the future.
Max Bailey: Hawthorn also has quite a few players from WA but they have been successful in signing them to contract extensions.
Daniel Wells: The Eagles can afford to overpay him to get him to return to WA, so the Kangaroos could have a battle in a few years.
Damon White: The Eagles probably don't have a spot for him at the moment, that could change if Hansen leaves when his contract expires.
Farren Ray: The Eagles will have several midfielders retire in the next few years and the Bulldogs won't be able to match the money that the Eagles will have.
Tigers football director Greg Miller and West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett have already held discussions about Judd — another indication that Richmond is positioning itself as a player in the Judd trade.
Miller said yesterday the club was focused on its youth policy but could take Judd if West Coast and the Blues could not agree on a deal next week.
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Judd Foundation
Chris Judd will be the foundation that his new AFL club will build a future contender around. Although there already is a Judd Foundation.
The Foundation aims to promote a wider understanding of and appreciation for Judd’s artistic legacy by facilitating public access to these spaces and resources and by developing scholarly and educational programs.
Not a very big survey sample, but here are some results from the AFL draft camp that have been published by the AFL.
20-metre sprints
David Gourdis – Subiaco (2.83)
Clayton Hinkley – North Ballarat Rebels (2.88)
Steven Gaertner – Dandenong Stingrays (2.88)
Agility
Aaron Joseph – Tassie Mariners (7.91)
Lachlan Hill – Oakleigh Chargers (8.05)
Clayton Hinkley – Dandenong Stingrays (8.07)
6 x 30m repeat sprints
Chris Kangars – Geelong Falcons (23.59)
Patrick Dangerfield – Geelong Falcons (23.96)
Cyril Rioli – Northern Territory Thunder (24.01)
Shuttle run (aka beep test)
Cale Morton – Claremont (15.2 – Level 15 Shuttle 2)
Joel Smouha – Mt Gravatt (15.1)
Brendan Whitecross – Zillmere (14.10)
Clayton Hinkley – North Ballarat Rebels (14.9)
Rhys Palmer – East Fremantle (14.8)
Scott Selwood – Bendigo Pioneers (14.7)
Cale Morton can run, the AFL clubs probably knew that already. But the test result doesn't hurt his top 3 chances. Joel Smouha might be the unofficial AFL Insider Sleeper Of The Draft, AFL clubs just need to figure out what position he would play.
Patrick Dangerfield, commentators and fans want him to make it in the AFL. "My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too." It is possible that Dangerfield won't get a lot of respect from some people. Coming second to Kangars in a running event, that should get him some respect.
16 Port Adelaide - Levi Greenwood (181cm, 91kg)
There are not a lot of options among the prospects in the draft from South Australia but Port Adelaide could be happy with Greenwood towards the end of the first round.
The Power might feel they need to add a player that is a bit like Geelong's Paul Chapman, and Greenwood could be an answer to that. Greenwood is a tough little player, with a big leap, and he has the ability to perform an inspirational play. It doesn't hurt that Greenwood is also a Port Adelaide player in the SANFL.
Port Adelaide will be going into trade week trying to implement Operation Ebert. Brad Ebert won't be available at pick 16 so the Power have a lot of work to do. They have been very successful in keeping their young stars, like Salopek, so they don't have a lot of trade assets. Picks 16 and 33, Damon White, Ryan Willets, even putting all that together may not get them a pick high enough to take Brad Ebert. To get something good, teams often need to give up something just as good, so maybe Boak would like to return to Victoria and the Power could get pick 4,5 or 6 in return. That would mean trading with the Demons, Bulldogs or Bombers.
17 Geelong - Tayte Pears (192cm, 90kg)
The Cats didn't miss Egan during the 2007 AFL finals, but it did show the lack of depth Geelong have among their tall defenders. If the Cats want to add a young defender with their first round pick they should find several worth going here.
Pears brings good size to the position, he is very strong in the air and he should be ready for the AFL. If Pears goes here, being ready for the AFL won't be very important, as Geelong don't need a lot of help at the moment, but one pick away from this spot is when the teams down the bottom of the ladder are selecting and some of those clubs would have an immediate use for him.
Teams that have won a Grand Final sometimes look to trade their first round pick, and acquire a veteran, to make sure they are as good for the next season. Geelong are unlikely to do this, as that would only put more pressure on their salary cap.
18 Richmond - Tom Bellchambers (199cm, 91kg)
Carlton get Kreuzer at pick 1 for their priority selection, this is when the Tigers get their priority pick and they can also take a ruckman. Bellchambers should develop into a very reliable ruckmen who gets plenty of hitouts and can go back and block up the space in front of the opposition full forward.
Knobel has retired, and if Graham is not promoted to their main list it would make Bellchambers the tallest player Richmond have. Bellchambers is a bit taller than Pattison and Simmonds. He is also more of a traditional ruckman, and the Tigers do need that.
Bellchambers looks, and plays, taller than his listed height. The draft camp should give an updated set of measurements for teams to consider. Maybe it is his leap at the centre bounce, or the length of his arms, but Bellchambers always seems to get his hand to the ball. There is also the fact that he rarely has played against players that are equal in height to him. But a team should be impressed by him, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he went a few picks earlier as many teams need a ruckman.
19 Richmond - Tony Notte (194cm, 70kg)
Team needs are taken into account for this mock draft and also considered are the previous picks. If Richmond take an onballer early, and a ruckman with their priority choice, as they have in this mock draft, then a key position prospect could be the next item on their list.
Notte is a great prospect for the forward line, he already has height, mobility and good hands and just needs a few years to develop his strength. Not that 2011 should be a target date for anything there, but Notte would probably be Richardson's replacement and Richmond's top goal-scorer then.
Ben Reid from last year's draft might be a similar player to Notte, in terms of what happens in the draft. Younger, and thinner, than a lot of the other prospects, Reid went very high in the draft because of his potential. Reid did show in the VFL, and a brief appearance at AFL level, that it was a good pick by Collingwood. Notte doesn't have some of the predraft hype that other WA players do but a team might produce a draft day surprise and take Notte a lot earlier than expected.
20 Carlton - Pat Veszpremi (181cm, 83kg)
While this pick could be going out in the Judd trade, there is still a chance Carlton keep it and add another star prospect to their list.
There isn't a lot Veszpremi can't do. If he is in the middle he is a hard-tackling presence, in the back line he will amass a large number of kicks, and he has shown an ability to kick a useful number of goals when put forward. So there are also plenty of reasons why he would go a few picks earlier and land in the first round.
If The Eagles do get this pick, there should be a number of players from over there that will interest them. While Pears, Notte and possibly Myers last until this pick, there will be other good prospects from WA to choose from too.
It was a Jolly good idea when the Swans acquired a tall player from Melbourne a few years ago, ruckman Darren Jolly, and the Swans could be again bolstering their list with a big Demon. Key position player Brad Miller is wanted by Sydney to fill their centre half forward spot.
Miller's time at Melbourne has been a bit of a roller coaster, sometimes among their best players, other times playing in the VFL for Sandringham. A move to a new club should help his career. Sydney has been a good destination for tall forwards wanting a fresh start, so following in the steps of Hall and Lockett is not a bad idea.
The AFL draft of 2001 delivered a couple of Grand Final appearances for the Eagles. But now they might be without half of the players they selected then. Judd is gone and Sampi isn't exactly a big part of the team, although the Eagles have said they will talk to him about a new contract.
Hansen had the opportunity to leave the Eagles last year but decided to extend his stay. When Hansen's contract expires, there would be a lot of reasons to move on to a team in Victoria. Seaby is content in his role as the backup to Dean Cox.
Nisbett said yesterday: "I know people don't ever want to give up their No. 1 pick, we understand that, but we're not talking about giving it up for a run-of-the-mill player. This is a very unusual situation, where there needs to be commonsense in the offer and also the acceptance and hopefully that will happen.
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Carlton reportedly have told Fevola that there is no chance that he will be involved in a trade for Judd, not that the Eagles seem to be very interested in Fevola at the moment anyway. Although Daniel Kerr did mention that he would not mind having Fevola on the Eagles.
The Eagles are not negotiating from a position of strength, so it will be interesting to see what they want in return for Judd. If West Coast do ask for Fevola, and that is the only way that Carlton can get Judd, the Blues should probably agree. Carlton need to keep the top pick, but Judd is going to help Carlton a lot more than Fevola could, both on and off the field. The Cats showed that a forward line with several options can get the job done.
Fevola was nearly traded to Richmond not too long ago, and Richmond will be watching Carlton again because if Judd doesn’t get traded it could mean he walks to Richmond.
Name: David Myers
Height: 190
Weight: 85
State: Western Australia
Club(s): Perth
AFL Positions:
He is a defender running off half back, or an outside midfielder taking the ball from his teammates and sending it into the forward line. A good combination of size, skills and athleticism, Myers should eventually become an important player for his AFL club.
Perfect Fit For:
Brisbane have said they are looking for taller midfielders so Myers would satisfy that requirement. It is always a worry for the Lions, when they draft players from other states, but they have been able to keep players like Black for their entire careers.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
Towards the end of the first round could be where he lands, and that is where the Eagles might have their pick. They lose one tall midfielder, Judd, so picking Myers would bring in some more help in the midfield.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
He is a player that fantasy coaches should consider, especially if he is a defender in fantasy leagues. Myers can accumulate possessions quickly and could be a defender who plays, and gets stats, like a midfielder.
The best idea would be to forget about this, and just read the results on Tuesday or even just wait until the draft, it is going to be complicated.
Darcy Daniher has selected the Bombers to be the club that takes him in the draft as a father/son draft pick, his other option was the Sydney Swans. On 2pm Friday, the paperwork for all the father/son nominations has to be with the AFL. Then on Monday, the bidding for Daniher, and any other father/son players, commences.
Read below for the bidding explanation from the AFL:
A club can nominate an eligible father-son draftee, with the player’s written consent, for the upcoming NAB AFL Draft.
At a meeting held prior to the Trade Period each other club in the competition then has the option to bid, in reverse ladder order, for that player. If a bid is made, the club that nominated the father-son player must use its next available selection if it wishes to retain hold on that player.
If the club nominating the father-son player declines to match the selection nominated, the club with the successful bid must use that selection at the draft.
Any club that makes a successful bid on a father-son selection is bound to the pick they nominate.
If no bid is made by another club, the club that nominated the father-son eligible player will forfeit its last selection in the draft.
After all that happens, Daniher probably joins Essendon as a third round pick.
11 Sydney: Tom Collier (192cm, 86kg)
The Swans are in an interesting situation, they might still have a year or two as a contender before some of their big stars retire, so they might trade for another veteran or could keep their pick but add someone who can make an impact right away. Collier has senior experience at VFL level, and can step right into the lineup with his new AFL club in round 1.
If Kennelly and Malceski are used more in the middle of the ground by Sydney, Collier could take a spot in the back line. Collier is a very versatile defender so he can play on nearly any type of forward, and if he is asked to he can also attack from the back, so at the Swans he would be very similar to Barry and C Bolton, and even a bit taller than those two.
Collier also has shown he can play in the middle of the action, so if Sydney used Collier and Goodes in the middle they would have a lot of size.
12 Hawthorn: Scott Selwood (184cm, 81kg)
He is famous, and he hasn't even played a game yet. As Hulk Hogan used to say, "Brother, Brother, Brother".
Brisbane could have taken Joel with a very high pick last year, they didn't then so it is unlikely that they will take Scott this time in the first round, although there is the chance that he lasts until their second rounder. The Eagles could see Scott Selwood as the type of player who could eventually take over from Wirrpanda as a leader in the back line, so he might go at pick 13. The Cats have the last pick of the first round, Scott would make sense for them too.
The Hawks have a lot of young talent, especially in the talls department, so a small midfielder/defender would be something they look at. Vandenberg and Smith are gone, so there could be a spot at Hawthorn for Selwood in the back half or as a defensive midfield player.
13 West Coast: Cyril Rioli (178cm, 74kg)
At the start of the season, with Essendon putting a few wins together, it looked like Rioli would probably be a Bomber in 2008 with Sheedy as his coach. Things have changed since then, but Rioli is still going to be one of the big stories of the AFL draft.
The Eagles will probably have at least one more first round pick to use, from the Judd trade, as well as their own pick here. They wouldn't want to take Rioli at pick 3 but at 13 he is good value. A very skilful player, Rioli would find a spot on the team next season as a small forward and occasional midfielder.
West Coast need more options up forward, right now they have Lynch and if he isn't kicking goals their only hope is if Hunter goes forward. Rioli can be a crumbing forward like Tony Evans or could also be used as a quick but small full forward like Phil Matera.
14 Collingwood: Jack Grimes (187cm, 76kg)
Buckley and Burns should be back next season, maybe Licuria is too, but the Magpies know they need to add some youth to the midfield. Grimes has size for the position, a very good understanding of the game and leadership qualities.
Dale Thomas is all about skills, Pendlebury is defined by his athleticism, Grimes would bring determination and football smarts, giving Collingwood three young stars who compliment each other and form a great team.
The Magpies also need to draft at least one ruckman, and while there will be a few options for that spot here it might be better if they use their second round pick on a ruckman and add a quality smaller player in the first round. That could change if the Magpies find a ruck prospect that they really want, and looking at all the recent success they have had in the draft, there won't be many questioning their choice.
15 Kangaroos: Addam Maric (179cm, 80kg)
They will have to replace Shannon Grant in a few years, and Maric might be his clone. A small player who can have a big impact in the forward line, Maric doesn't miss very often when he has a shot for goal.
The Kangaroos will have to figure out a new structure for their forward line in 2008. With Thompson returning from injury, and an improvement from Hansen, they could have more size to use. With Hale and Petrie too, as well as the marking ability of Edwards and Jones, there will need to be skilful small players around to make the forward line function. Maric should not only score a few goals for the Kangaroos if they draft him but he should also assist in many more.
The Kangaroos have not had a lot of success in recent times with trading high draft picks for veteran players, but this year it could be a good time to try it again. If they believe that they were very close to getting to a Grand Final, they might want to add the extra player or two via a trade who can take them that next step in 2008. The Kangaroos could also trade for veteran help by sending out one of their young talls, like Brad Moran or Hansen.
It did seem like he was going to have one more year, but Chris Grant decided that 18 years was enough and he has announced his retirement.
Chris Grant was one of the lowest ever draft picks to become a star in the AFL, he went at pick 105 in the 1988 draft. That was the year that Alex McDonald went at pick 1, and Leon Cameron joined the Bulldogs at pick 7.
Grant will be remembered for many things including his big marks, his goal against Essendon in 2000, the 20 cent coin story, the strange Brownlow events and his longevity at a single club.
Just a "what if" scenario to consider. What if the 2001 AFL draft had Judd go earlier, and one of the Luke's go to the Eagles. Would the Eagles have made the two Grand Finals, would they have won one of them, maybe the Luke would have left after a couple of years in the West.
If Luke was coming back to Victoria now, would it be the biggest news item, would fans be celebrating Luke announcing he wanted to join their team, maybe their would be a Daily Luke post but probably not.
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Slightly overshadowed by the news of Scott Camporeale's retirement announcement, there were also reports of Chris Judd deciding on the club he wanted to go to. It is Carlton, and it will be a lot easier for the Eagles to trade with the Blues than it would have been if the Magpies were Judd's preferred option. Pick 3, which could be Palmer or Morton, as well as a later pick and probably a player or two. Josh Kennedy's name is mentioned all the time, but with Hansen, Lynch, Brown and a few other tall players the Eagles are not a great fit for him.
Until the trade is official, anything can happen. But it could all be over on Monday, which would be Juddment Day.
The Carlton Football Club has confirmed that Chris Judd has nominated Carlton as the preferred Club to pursue his future career as a senior AFL footballer.
Carlton chief executive Greg Swann said the Blues would work through trade negotiations with the Eagles and Judd's manager Paul Connors to complete a deal.
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Judd Solutions
Chris Judd will be the solution to many problems at his new club, but there is another Judd out there with solutions, Christopher Judd.
Judd Solutions is a consultancy firm dealing with various "emerging technologies".
Christopher Judd publishes a Consuming Web Services article in Eclipse Review.
Christopher Judd publishes a children's book entitled "Bearable Moments".
Carlton CEO Greg Swann said that the Club will be working through trade negotiations with the West Coast Eagles and Chris’s manager Paul Connors to complete a suitable exchange.
“We are delighted that Chris has seen fit to nominate the Carlton Football Club as his future home at a time when the Club is embarking on what will be a new and exciting era,” Swann said.
6 Essendon: Rhys Palmer (180cm, 76kg)
The Bombers need speed, they need someone with a bit of flair who can break a game open, Palmer showed he can play in the big games.
The Bombers have an oversupply of tall players, of veterans and younger players, so a small player is what they need. Palmer would probably split his time between the forward line and midfield in his first year there.
The Bombers have consistently gone to WA to find players in recent drafts, so if this happens it will mean Palmer follows players like Gumbleton, Ryder, Bradley and Jetta from the West to the Bombers.
7 Fremantle: Chris Masten (179cm, 78kg)
When a team has huge ruckmen, and the Dockers qualify there with Sandilands and Warnock, they need to be surrounded by players who know how to operate at the stoppages. Masten would be on the end of plenty of hitouts if he was a Docker next year.
Hasleby's situation is uncertain at the moment. The Dockers have said they want him back, and have reportedly offered a new deal, but a change of clubs might be beneficial for him. If Hasleby does go, then Masten would step right into his role in the Fremantle midfield.
The Dockers have been successful in retaining a lot of players they have who are from other states, but this draft will probably see them take a local. Masten and Palmer would both be very high on their wish list.
8 Brisbane: Brad Ebert (187cm, 86kg)
Brisbane have already talked about the type of player they want, and they were describing Ebert when they said they needed to find some bigger midfielders.
Ebert is obviously going to be a target of Port Adelaide in the draft, but it is very unlikely that he makes it to their first choice. The Power will have to make a trade to move up in the draft to get Ebert.
The Lions didn't get the expected improvement from players like Sherman and Moody this season, so they could be moved out this offseason and Ebert would step in and take their role of a player who operates in the midfield and also around half forward.
9 St Kilda: Lachlan Henderson (196cm, 90kg)
The Saints don't have one specific need, so they will be a club to watch on draft day and could surprise with the direction they take. It could depend on Koschitzke, if he is a ruckman next year then the Saints will want to add another forward. If Koschitzke is going to replace Gehrig in the goal-square, then drafting a ruckman could become the priority.
If Maguire left, then Henderson might have also been an option for them as a tall defender, but Maguire has agreed to stay at St Kilda. So Henderson would be competing with Fergus Watts and Jarryd Allen to be the Saints' new full forward in 2008.
The Saints could also decide they need more speed in the middle or another ruckman. If Palmer or McEvoy are available at this pick the Saints might take one of them. But they may not even have this pick, during trade week the Saints could find a trade offer that gives them what they need in exchange for their pick.
10 Adelaide: David Myers (190cm, 85kg)
While the forward line is where the Crows need immediate help, they already invested in that position in the 2006 AFL draft, when they took Sellar and Tippett.
Myers would be a good fit with the Crows' many running defenders, or on the wing. Edwards and Goodwin don't have a lot left so replacing them is something Adelaide need to plan for, and the Crows could use a taller body in the midfield.
The Crows could have a few extra picks to use in the draft, Meesen and Hudson could bring them picks 37 and 38. McGregor is another player who could be moved during trade week.
Geelong should be able to keep most of their team together, there will be some delistings and a few trades should also happen. Players like Tim Callan and Brent Prismall took a step backwards in their football careers this year, and now Callan wants to move to the Bulldogs.
Geelong may also need to make another choice when it comes to their two ruckmen, due to the salary cap it could again be Blake or King. Blake is the future for Geelong, so this time he is probably the one they pick.
The rookie list at Geelong also has a player or two who could be promoted, Jason Davenport is one player who was a star in the VFL in 2007.
When, or maybe if, the Eagles get a bonanza of draft picks for Judd they will have to decide who to pick. They say they are not worried about drafting a player from another state, but the 2007 AFL Draft is loaded with local talent so they can get the best prospects from their own backyard anyway.
In no particular order, some of the WA prospects who might be chosen with a first round choice:
Trade week will end on Friday fortnight and there are concerns among clubs and player managers that a series of trades could stall until the last minute unless the Judd deal is brokered quickly.
Harris said, however, that the Brownlow Medallist was “somewhat surprised” by the quality of the Demons’ presentation and strategies.
“… the club's training facilities at Junction Oval, and the need to train at a variety of grounds over summer, was an issue.” Harris told melbournefc.com.au.
“It's well known that new state-of-the-art facilities are due for completion at Olympic Park within two years, but we do have this comparative disadvantage.
The 2004 Brownlow Medallist broke the bad news to Essendon and Melbourne on Monday morning, leaving the Magpies and Carlton in contention for his services.
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What can Collingwood offer the Eagles?
There are three teams, at least, still in the running for Judd. Carlton can offer high picks and players from WA. Collingwood might be able to provide a lot of incentives to Judd, but their trade assets are not too prevalent. If neither of those teams can get a trade worked out with West Coast, the Tigers are waiting in the preseason draft.
Collingwood can get draft picks, to use in the trade for Judd, but it would mean trading Ben Reid or Nathan Brown, maybe both of them. Mitch Brown is an Eagle, so he might have his brother beside him next year, although the team they are on may not be Collingwood or West Coast. If Collingwood is Judd's preferred destination, then the Magpies are going to have to be very polite with the Bulldogs, Demons, Tigers and other teams with high draft picks.
THE courting of boon recruit Chris Judd by Melbourne-based AFL clubs took another dramatic twist on Monday, with the champion midfielder advising the Demons he would not be joining them in 2008.
1 Carlton: Matthew Kreuzer (199cm, 91kg)
They have announced that they are keeping the pick and Kreuzer will be selected. It is one of the more sensible things that Carlton have done this century. Kreuzer isn't the tallest of ruckmen, although he is tall enough, and when his height is measured at the draft camp it will be something that interests many people. While a very small increase from his listed height, if he does get an extra centimetre or two it will put him over two metres, and it always looks better on the team list when the ruckmen are 200cm or more.
Kreuzer will be the starting ruckman at Carlton as soon as he gets drafted, and he should grow along with players like Gibbs, Murphy and others to form a powerful midfield group. It won't be next season, or maybe the one after that even, but eventually Carlton should have one of the best midfields in the AFL.
While Kreuzer has also been an effective forward at TAC Cup level, for Carlton his playing time up there would be very minimal. Fevola doesn't really like to share his space, and if Fisher and Kennedy are still there in 2008 the Blues will have plenty of forward marking targets. Shaun Hampson, who could be Kreuzer's backup for many years, may also play forward at times.
2 Richmond: Trent Cotchin (184cm, 81kg)
There was talk that Richmond wanted a few of the Morton brothers, although it is hard to see them letting Cotchin go past their pick. A Deledio and Cotchin pairing is something that Richmond fans will want to see, they are similar players and opposition teams won’t be able to keep up with both of them. The Tigers do need height, but they can probably afford to go small here if they use picks 18 and 19 on tall players.
There might be up to ten players who are worth the second overall pick, so Richmond may be able to trade down a bit and still get the player they wanted, something that worked for them last year in the Polak deal when they were able to draft Jack Riewoldt.
While Cotchin is injured at the moment, that isn't a reason to not take him at pick 2. Chris Judd wasn't drafted by a team or two due to his shoulder problem, Joel Selwood was recovering from a knee injury, and the teams that drafted them were rewarded.
3 Carlton: Cale Morton (192cm, 75kg)
Koutoufides is gone and the Carlton midfield loses a lot of its size, Morton could help there or in the back line.
As a defender, Morton could combine the play of Scotland with the height of Waite. Andrejs Everitt had a very good season for the Bulldogs in 2006, Morton could play a similar role next year for the team that drafts him and he is even more advanced than Everitt was. If Morton was introduced to AFL football as a midfielder, it could provide his team with some mismatches to exploit. Morton can take a mark, and on the wing against a much shorter opponent he could do some damage.
Richmond may already have Morton ranked at number 2 on their list, but that may depend on what is happening with Mitch Morton who Richmond could take in the preseason draft. If that happens, then the Mortons could become the Bowdens of 2006.
4 Melbourne: Ben McEvoy (199cm, 90kg)
While he didn't star on the weekend when he played on the MCG, he has done more than enough this season to be a top 5 pick.
A big body, good running ability and strong hands make McEvoy one of the players from this draft who could dominate the AFL in a few years. Centre half forward is often said to be the most important spot on the ground, and McEvoy is by far the best prospect at that position.
Neitz is in his final years at the club, McEvoy would be a big help to him next season and then would take over as their big target up forward when Neitz retired.
5 Western Bulldogs: Alex Rance (194cm, 87kg)
The family connection to the Bulldogs is a bonus, that Alex Rance is a big defender with plenty of skills is the real reason they will consider drafting him.
He has plenty of size but his mobility is also something that should appeal to teams with very high picks in the draft. A centre half back with good hands and defensive skills combined with some dash from the back line when it is needed, Rance would be a perfect fit for the Bulldogs.
While Rance would be a big part of the Bulldogs in the future, he is also ready to contribute for them next season. That will be important if they do keep the pick, as they need to win now before West, Johnson, Akermanis and Grant finish their careers.
The trade week will change around plenty of the picks in the draft, so there will be additional mock drafts posted when the AFL draft order is certain. Mock drafts are important to teams as they plan their strategies for the AFL trading period, as they need to figure out what picks they need to grab the players they want.
The AFL draft camp will also provide updated measurements for many of the top prospects. The draft camp tests could also help some players move up in the draft and hurt the chances of others.
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