Brett Anderson has Ahern going to us at pick 7.
2014 AFL Mock Draft 2.0Brett Anderson
SEN/Inside Football
9-7-2014With the 2014 NAB AFL Under 18 Championship in the book – congratulations to South Australia and NSW/ACT for claiming the respective titles, it is time to again look forward to November’s National Draft.
Our last mock draft debuted just before the championships kicked off in late May and hopefully provided onlookers with a small insight into some of the players to keep an eye on over the proceeding six months.
Over the course of the carnival, the player rankings and likely draft order have evolved from game to game and week to week, but things are slowly starting to become clearer.
Aside from Hugh Goddard, Tom Lamb and Clem Smith, who each struggled throughout the championships (until good outings last Wednesday), and have thus dropped down the board, the top 10 players have remained fairly steady, as have the teams competing for the No. 1 pick – although Richmond flirted with the ignominy for a few weeks.
There is still plenty of football to be played in the TAC Cup, SANFL, WAFL, NEAFL and respective school and local competitions Australia wide, so movement at the top is still guaranteed.
But our second full mock draft of the year gives you a better view of the top end of this year’s draft.
Just remember that a mock draft is not a ranking of how we rank each of the players – that is a task for another day, instead it's a reporting tool to convey our latest intel from around the competition as to how the AFL clubs rate and assess this years batch of prospects.
Editor's note: The draft order for this mock was formulated based on the ladder at the end of Round 16.1. St Kilda – Patrick McCartinGeelong Falcons | 19/4/96 | 193cm | 92kg | Tall forward
Despite not taking the championship by storm, the Geelong spearhead remains the logical pick for the Saints who aside from Nick Riewoldt (and the untried Spencer White), have few options in the front half long term. He isn’t the finished product, but he’s the safest of the key position prospects in this draft.
2. Brisbane Lions – Peter WrightCalder Cannons | 8/9/96 | 203cm | 102kg | Ruck/tall forward
With Matthew Leuenberger and Stefan Martin one could argue that a ruckman/forward isn’t the greatest need for a Brisbane list that still has many holes. However both Leuenberger and Martin have had their injury issues and Brad Ottens-like big man is hard to overlook.
3. Melbourne – Christian PetraccaEastern Ranges | 4/1/96 | 186cm | 92kg | Midfielder
The 2014 Larke Medallist could well wind up being the No.1 pick – such is his form in the championships and in the TAC Cup, but the Dees who are looking to further bolster their midfield ala Fremantle and Sydney with bigger bodies will be thrilled that he is still available at three.
4. Greater Western Sydney – Angus BrayshawSandringham Dragons | 9/1/96 | 187cm | 86kg | Midfielder
GWS could gone many different ways with a key defender such as Durdin or an other midfielder like Laverde or Ahern a possibility. Brayshaw however provides a good balance of inside and out and would be another good addition to a young onball group.
5. Western Bulldogs – Sam DurdinWest Adelaide | 6/6/96 | 196cm | 87kg | Tall forward/defender
With a talented young midfield group already at the kennel, Simon Dalrymple can look to fill the most glaring need – a quality key position player. Durdin can play at either end, and will take some time, but is immensely talented. Marchbank is another possibility.
6. Carlton – Caleb MarchbankMurray Bushrangers | 7/12/96 | 194cm | 86kg | Tall forward/defender
Carlton recruiting boss said recently that the need for outside run is still high on the Blues’ agenda, but so is a quality tall. Like Durdin, Marchbank can play at either end of the ground, is a very good user on both sides of his body and rarely goes to ground – a good trait for a player his size.
7. Richmond – Paul AhernCalder Cannons | 1/8/96 | 182cm | 77kg | Midfielder
Two outstanding performances against WA in the carnival made people stand up and take notice of the smooth-moving midfielder/forward. The Tigers need to add some class on the outside and no player in this draft pool (Pickett aside) has as much as Ahern.
8. West Coast – Jarrod PickettSouth Fremantle | 18/8/96 | 178cm | 76kg | Midfielder
Anyone who has watched the Eagles play this season will have noticed the glaring issue they have on the outside. Their midfield is one-paced and lacks the ability to spread, whilst in attack, with Mark LeCras floating through the middle, they don’t have anyone capable of creating something from nothing – Pickett can do both.
9. Adelaide – Jake LeverCalder Cannons | 5/3/96 | 191cm | 82kg | Medium defender
Lever missed the entire carnival with a knee injury, and wont play until next year but that doesn’t mean he falls off the radar of recruiters. Last year’s form is enough to remind them of his elite talent and if he were still on the board in the teens, it would be a shock.
10. Gold Coast – Jayden LaverdeWestern Jets | 12/4/96 | 189cm | 82kg | Medium utility
Laverde had leapt into the top 20 prior to his outstanding afternoon against South Australia last week, but he showed that he could be one of the best talents in this draft crop. Athletically, he is everything Suns’ recruiter Scott Clayton looks for in a player and would fit in very nicely at half back or on a wing at Metricon.
11. North Melbourne – Lachie WellerSouthport | 23/2/96 | 181cm | 71kg | Midfielder
In adding Nick Dal Santo, North Melbourne addressed a perceived lack of class in their midfield, but that is only a short-term fix. By adding Weller they can look to other needs in future years as the classy Tasmanian turned Queenslander can compliment the inside grunt of Swallow, Ziebell, Cunnington and Greenwood.
12. Collingwood – Darcy Moore (F/S)Oakleigh Chargers | 25/1/96 | 199cm | 93kg | Tall forward/defender
One of the most impressive tall prospects in the draft class, Moore looms as a draft bargain here considering his rating among some clubs in the top handful. He didn’t dominate the championships and like most of his fellow highly-rated talls, looked better in defence, but what he did show was more than enough.
13. Geelong – Jordan De GoeyOakleigh Chargers | 15/3/96 | 187cm | 82kg | Medium utility
Steady is the best way to describe De Goey’s national championships and he is possibly the hardest player in this draft pool to provide an AFL comparison for (a mix between Joel Corey and Bernie Vince is the best I could come up with). He can play a number of roles and is highly rated amongst the recruiting fraternity.
14. Gold Coast – Corey EllisWestern Jets | 9/10/96 | 185cm | 76kg | Midfielder
Skilful, quick thinking midfielder who would compliment the Suns’ envious group of high-quality midfielders beautifully. Like most others, wasn’t a standout in the championships, but if you looked close enough, it was hard to ignore his game smarts and positioning.
15. Fremantle – Tom LambDandenong Stingrays | 19/10/96 | 193cm | 84kg | Tall utility
Lamb is possibly the most intriguing prospect in the draft pool considering his athletic attributes and footy ability. He has plenty of flaws, but a move west to play under a coach who loves players who can run – he runs a level 15 beep, could be the best thing to happen to him.
16. Port Adelaide – Hugh GoddardGeelong Falcons | 24/8/96 | 195cm | 92kg | Tall forward/defender
Like Lamb, Goddard has fallen down the pecking order after an inconsistent carnival which highlighted more flaws than strengths. He was another tall who looked much more comfortable down back where he attacked the ball with intensity. If he can put it all together, he’s super value at the bottom end of the first round.
17. Hawthorn – Liam DugganWestern Jets | 11/12/96 | 182cm | 72kg | Midfielder
The Ben Mitchell Medallist catches the eye with his ability on both sides of his body – a rarity for a left footer, and the way he moves in traffic. He can play at half back, or on a wing and his reading of the game is in the top handful. A future league captain in the eyes of those who have worked with him the closest.
18. Sydney Swans – Isaac Heeney (A/S)Cardiff Hawks | 5/5/96 | 186cm | 82kg | Midfielder
Much has been said about the Swans academy product and his standing in this draft pool – among the top couple. His ability both inside and out ranks him alongside Petracca and Brayshaw as the cream of the crop and at the bottom of the first round, he is absurd value for the premiership favorites.
19. Essendon – Connor Blakely (C/S)Swan Districts | 2/3/96 | 186cm | 81kg | Midfielder
A key forward to play alongside Joe Daniher is an obvious need – just look at their depth below the young up and coming star. Its non-existent. However they also need to provide some support for skipper Jobe Watson on the inside and Blakely can do exactly that. Having played senior footy in the WAFL he is more AFL ready than most.
20. GWS Giants – Harrison Wigg (C/S)North Adelaide | 14/10/96 | 179cm | 70kg | Medium defender
This may sound like an overstatement, but Wigg is the best kick of a football I have ever seen – at any level. His ball use out of the back half was one of the main reasons SA won their second consecutive title. He needs to work on his defensive game – as do most kids at this level, but he has a trick than few others possess.
Note...
• Gold Coast has elected to activate its first-round compensation pick (received from Geelong) which is tied to Geelong’s finishing position, meaning it will be taken immediately after the Cats’ first-round pick.
• Essendon received an end of-first-round compensation pick having been stripped of its first-round pick due to the supplement investigation, which will come before the other compensation picks at the end of the first round.
• Greater Western Sydney has elected to activate its end-of-first-round compensation pick (received from Brisbane Lions).
For all your draft questions, send them to Brett on twitter via @BrettAndersonIF http://www.sen.com.au/display-article-2013/2014-AFL-Mock-Draft-20/70727
