Jon Anderson profiles the Under 18s class of 2014, predicts top 20 draft picks Jon Anderson
Herald Sun
June 25, 2014 9:47PMIN an AFL draft rated the most open in a decade, one performance over the coming weeks could determine which way recruiters go at the very top.
Maybe that performance took place last Friday, June 20, on the hallowed fields of Geelong Grammar where their full forward in Patrick McCartin booted five goals against Xavier College.
Those who witnessed the display said it had all the hallmarks of a budding AFL key forward, even if schoolboy football is rarely used as a strong guideline. But McCartin was opposed at times by a promising young Xavier College defender named Jack Whitehead.
McCartin will get the opportunity to further impress tomorrow when the U18 division 1 games are played at Simmonds Stadium in Geelong. As a Type 2 diabetic he requires five to six injections a day and must come to the bench during games to check his blood.
Will that influence recruiters? One said yesterday it is unlikely to be an issue, and with St Kilda and Brisbane both a chance for the first pick and both requiring a key forward, McCartin is a likely target.
In terms of smaller forwards South Fremantle’s Jarrod Pickett has suddenly jumped the queue at the halfway mark of the Australian U18 National Championships.
The 179cm Pickett has emerged as a genuine top five candidate depending on who finishes where on the AFL ladder and what their requirements are.
Pickett is an extremely fast (20m sprint 2.81 sec) midfielder/forward who would offer a team such as GWS something very different, with the Giants unlikely to choose a key forward in a draft that has several extremely well qualified candidates.
What the Giants do require apart from a player of Pickett’s capabilities is a key defender which would bring West Adelaide’s 196cm Sam Durdin into the equation given his ability to play both ends of the ground.
But the Giants’ current purple patch suggests they could finish ahead of St Kilda and Brisbane, two teams that surely must choose a key forward with Nick Riewoldt and Jonathan Brown nearing the end.
It is a draft with some useful father/son candidates, headed by Darcy Moore (Peter, Collingwood), Alex Waterman (Chris, West Coast) Billy Stretch (Steven, Melbourne) and Zaine Cordy (Brian). All will receive bids from rival clubs, leaving it up to their prospective homes to match those bids.
The “Potential Top 20” posted here is very much a work in progress and there will be further bolters before the U18 championships finish on July 3 at Simonds Stadium. Melbourne Grammar’s Ed Vickers-Willis is one such player, having risen rapidly in calculations after a fine championships to date.
One recruiter yesterday said it was a draft that was “as wide and broad as I’ve ever seen…..it’s tricky, but that can be a good thing if you do your homework. But not necessarily you would want to have the number one pick in”.
An interesting player is Geelong Falcons tall utility Hugh Goddard, who is a cousin of Brendon. A year ago he was a top three selection but a quietish carnival to date has seen him slide, just like a youngster named Lance Franklin did in 2004.
Franklin will be in the back of the minds of some recruiters come draft night and Goddard will be very hard to ignore, because if you do and he becomes a star, then start looking for a new job unless the bloke you picked also becomes a gun.
ANDO’S POTENTIAL TOP 201: Patrick McCartin (194cm, Geelong Falcons): Pace (tick) hands (tick) strength (tick) kicking (tick), McCartin covers the required bases for a key forward.
2: Peter Wright (203cm, Calder Cannons): A ruckman/forward who has always hovered around the top five for the 2014 draft.
3: Sam Durdin (196cm, West Adelaide): Has the advantage of being able to play both ends but has had a poor championship series to date.
4: Christian Petracca (186cm, Eastern Ranges): Rocketing up the charts. Has a genuine X factor either as a bullocking forward or midfielder.
5: Jarrod Pickett (179cm, South Fremantle): Each outing confirms his standing as an indigenous forward/midfielder of serious style.
6: Isaac Heeney (186cm, Sydney Academy): Under the Academy rules, Sydney can draft this hard-running midfielder, but will have to bid for him same as father/son bidding.
7: Angus Brayshaw (187c, Sandringham Dragons): A tallish, strong-bodied midfielder that Melbourne would love to acquire. Very consistent.
8: Tom Lamb (193cm, Dandenong Stingrays): A player capable of extreme highs as either a goalkicking forward or high possession midfielder.
9: Hugh Goddard (195cm, Geelong Falcons): A long-time top 5 pick who has slipped after a mediocre championships to date.
10: Caleb Marchbank (193cm, Murray Bushrangers): Hasn’t done his chances any harm in the championships and is athletic enough to play most positions.
11: Jake Lever (192cm, Calder Cannons): Won’t be seen at the championships due to a knee reconstruction but remains extremely highly thought of as a defender.
12: Lachie Weller (181cm, Gold Coast Academy): A goal kicking midfielder who can influence play via his disposal. Brother of St Kilda’s Mav.
13: Corey Ellis (185cm, Western Jets): Can win his own ball and use it with his left-foot. Regarded as a very good decision making midfielder.
14: Darcy Moore (199cm, Oakleigh Chargers): Key position either back or forward who is likely to go to Collingwood as a first round father/son pick.
15: Jordan de Goey (187cm, Oakleigh): Has a rugby background. Strong marking midfielder who can gather possessions quickly.
16: Clem Smith (177cm, Perth): Super quick defender whose attack on the ball belies his small stature. Likes to run with the ball and set up play.
17: Touk Miller (175cm, Calder Cannons): The Vic Metro captain is a highly talented natural sportsman who plays midfield/forward.
18: Brayden Maynard (186cm, Sandringham): Father Peter played for Glenelg. Plays as a mid-size defender who uses it very well.
19: Connor Blakely (187cm, Swan Districts): Has been playing good senior football in the WAFL as a midfielder. His star is rising.
20: Jayden Laverde (189cm, Western Jets): With the tendency towards taller midfielders, Laverde is ideal and he has the versatility to play defence.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/jon-anderson-profiles-the-under-18s-class-of-2014-predicts-top-20-draft-picks/story-fngeflq8-1226966942629
