Ranking The AFL Draft Top 10s
October 3rd 2008 02:45
2006
1 Bryce Gibbs - Carlton
2 Scott Gumbleton - Essendon
3 Lachlan Hansen - Kangaroos
4 Matthew Leuenberger - Brisbane
5 Travis Boak - Port Adelaide
6 Mitchell Thorp - Hawthorn
7 Joel Selwood - Geelong
8 Ben Reid - Collingwood
9 David Armitage - St Kilda
10 Nathan Brown - Collingwood
A lot of this draft is still about potential, but there are also some players who have already proven they will be among the elite of the AFL.
At the time, there was plenty of talk that if Joel Selwood had healthy knees he could be the top pick. Everyone now knows that is correct, and Geelong have a couple of trips to the Grand Final to show that Selwood was a great pick.
Gibbs, it must be said, was terrible in his first year of AFL. It can now be said, to the relief of those who picked him up the top of the draft, he has turned things around. Gibbs can get the ball a lot, and use it well, and Gibbs has also proven that he can go against other star midfielders and beat them. Boak was a bit of a suprise when the Power took him earlier than expected but he is delivering for them.
Leuenberger, Hansen, Reid and Gumbleton are still all about potential. It won't be long before Leuenberger is Brisbane's version of Dean Cox. Hansen seems to have settled into a defensive spot. Reid will probably step up when Rocca retires. Gumbleton has been injured a lot and has also signed a new contract so he should be a big part of their forward structure in the next year or two.
Thorp's problem was he was drafted by Hawthorn, who already have Franklin and Roughead. Thorp may need a trade, or a shift to the back line at the Hawks. Armitage's problem may be the coach at St Kilda. Armitage is kicking game-winning goals one week, and is a Casey Scorpion back in the VFL the next. In 2009, the Saints probably play him every week so he should get a chance to show if he deserved to be a top 10 pick.
The early rounds of season 2008 were all about Collingwood's Nathan Brown, how he was containing the AFL's star forwards but not getting a Rising Star nomination. Brown was also capable of kicking goals when switched to the other end of the ground. Collingwood did the correct thing when they went tall in this draft, and also for trading to get another top 10 pick to use.
It can take ruckman four years to reach their potential, and for key forwards in can be three or four years, so when this draft is looked at in a couple of years the results could be even better than they currently are.
Ranking The AFL Draft Top 10s
2006
2007
1997
2005
2000
1994
2002
1992
2003
1989
1993
1988
1998
1986
1996
1991
1995
1990
1987
1 Bryce Gibbs - Carlton
2 Scott Gumbleton - Essendon
3 Lachlan Hansen - Kangaroos
4 Matthew Leuenberger - Brisbane
5 Travis Boak - Port Adelaide
6 Mitchell Thorp - Hawthorn
7 Joel Selwood - Geelong
8 Ben Reid - Collingwood
9 David Armitage - St Kilda
10 Nathan Brown - Collingwood
A lot of this draft is still about potential, but there are also some players who have already proven they will be among the elite of the AFL.
At the time, there was plenty of talk that if Joel Selwood had healthy knees he could be the top pick. Everyone now knows that is correct, and Geelong have a couple of trips to the Grand Final to show that Selwood was a great pick.
Gibbs, it must be said, was terrible in his first year of AFL. It can now be said, to the relief of those who picked him up the top of the draft, he has turned things around. Gibbs can get the ball a lot, and use it well, and Gibbs has also proven that he can go against other star midfielders and beat them. Boak was a bit of a suprise when the Power took him earlier than expected but he is delivering for them.
Leuenberger, Hansen, Reid and Gumbleton are still all about potential. It won't be long before Leuenberger is Brisbane's version of Dean Cox. Hansen seems to have settled into a defensive spot. Reid will probably step up when Rocca retires. Gumbleton has been injured a lot and has also signed a new contract so he should be a big part of their forward structure in the next year or two.
Thorp's problem was he was drafted by Hawthorn, who already have Franklin and Roughead. Thorp may need a trade, or a shift to the back line at the Hawks. Armitage's problem may be the coach at St Kilda. Armitage is kicking game-winning goals one week, and is a Casey Scorpion back in the VFL the next. In 2009, the Saints probably play him every week so he should get a chance to show if he deserved to be a top 10 pick.
The early rounds of season 2008 were all about Collingwood's Nathan Brown, how he was containing the AFL's star forwards but not getting a Rising Star nomination. Brown was also capable of kicking goals when switched to the other end of the ground. Collingwood did the correct thing when they went tall in this draft, and also for trading to get another top 10 pick to use.
It can take ruckman four years to reach their potential, and for key forwards in can be three or four years, so when this draft is looked at in a couple of years the results could be even better than they currently are.
Ranking The AFL Draft Top 10s
2006
2007
1997
2005
2000
1994
2002
1992
2003
1989
1993
1988
1998
1986
1996
1991
1995
1990
1987
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