BF's draft board's official phantom draft:1. WCE - Duursma
2. GC - Uwland (matched bid)
3. WCE - Sharp
4. GC - Patterson (matched bid)
PICK 5 - RICHMOND - Sullivan Robey - 192cm - Fwd/Mid - Eastern Ranges
I have to go with Sully here.
Robey is a powerful young gun with huge potential and a ceiling possibly higher than most given the fact he is still getting use to his body and putting in the hard yards during the offseason trying to perfect a full-time athletes body.
He has taken the stingrays rejection and turned it around quite well, treating his opponents quite egregiously in the latter half of the year for Eastern Ranges.
Sully can play through the middle and win contests at will, gets the ball to runners or bursts out and gets the ball forward for his team using very good decisions by hand and or foot.
Very much in the mold of Cam Rayner, but bigger
His new size belies his ability below his knees as he still plays like a small, but above his head he is also a weapon, taking marks out in front on the lead.
Can find the goals and stands up in tackles, has size, holds a physical presence, tackles to hurt and is very mobile, and that will only get better in time. I think he would compliment what the tigers did last year by bringing in a guy who can, in the future, swap in and out of the mid/fwd role with Lalor very well giving the tigers a two-pronged running of the bulls.
This is the pick where Richmond could trade to gather a future pick, but i wanted and want Sully. There are 5 that Richmond are keen on and have put work into, being, in no particular order, CDT, D.Sharp, X.Taylor, S.Grjl and S.Robey.
6. Carl - Dean (F/S matched bid)
PICK 7 - RICHMOND - XAVIER TAYLOR - 191cm - Def - Eastern Ranges
I really like Xavier, and I think Richmond is leaning this way too, let me explain why.
**There are very quick mids with superb skills available next year who I currently rate above this year's talent pool but no defenders like Xavier at the top end of the 26 draft, where Richmond will most likely be whilst they build this young team together and that is where I would be looking for top end midfield talent, given the fact that maybe only Prestia will be out of that mix after 2026.
Xavier is a 191 cm def who has elite speed, athleticism, aggressiveness and an attacking mindset who can play on talls and smalls alike whilst intercepting at will.
He has shut down all players short and tall in the likes of highly rated Mitch Marsh, Hussein El Achkar and Max King
While the Tigers defense is pretty good, Tyler Young was traded, Blight delisted, Koschitzke was never really a factor here (no offense intended) but he is gone, meaning less depth for cover, Broad has openly said this is his last year, Vlaustin will turn 32 and Short will turn 30.
Xavier is quicker than what the average pundit would know and plays in the mold of a Josh Weddle from the Hawks.
The tigers have Brown, Gibcus, Grey, Balta and Miller playing the lockdown, intercept and distribute/feeding styles of play, with Banks and Trainor currently being moved up to the wings and chopping out across half back when needed.
Xavier would fit in seamlessly across the half back after learning and then taking over from Vlaustin and Short, providing his very high in game IQ, leadership and direction across that line that he already showed at the under 18 level, whilst using his speed to carry the ball in link up play down to the forwards.
He is being seen as the outlet player once the mids extract the clearances and feed him, his speed and endurance would see him run all day as I said in the Weddle style, or in Tiger parlance, a younger, quicker more athletic Houli with a higher upside.
However, he can also win clearances, so when there is a stoppage down back he has the skills, unlike Richmonds other defenders, to win that clearance and burst, or give the right option by hand or foot. Could he play in the middle down the track, I'm not so sure, but his attributes per position lend to the fact that it is a possibility, however I would see that as a waste of his talents given how damaging he can be on the outside and down back.
Xavier improved in all areas of his game consistently over the last two years showing that upward trend in his career, being one of, if not the most consistent players in the pool. Learning to defend, intercept, then run and even link up and burn opponents by taking the game on and attacking through the lines which is his forte.
There were worries about his disposal by foot, but as the year went on and the games got harder/more important his disposal shot up very high, eventually giving him a very good disposal rate. His game is built for the big leagues and a proper system and style of play which you just don't see at the under 18 level.
CDT was a definite consideration but not a fit, as was Sam Grjl (who will no doubt be the other side of the coin toss here), but the talent, upside and elite traits that Xavier holds give him a ceiling that cannot be ignored in an area of need, list wise, and here he joins his eastern teammate.
*I have a few mids in mind, with both speed and good ball use that could add something to our young mid mix that im sure will be still on the board come our next pick, with a few fall-back options to fill other spots if those do not eventuate the way I have planned.
8. Bris - Annable (matched bid)
9. Ess - Duff-Tytler
10. Ess - Cumming
11. Melb - Grlj
12. Melb - Farrow
13. Haw - Lindsay
14. GWS - Barker
15. WCE - Schubert
16. WB - Dovaston
https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/bigfooty-official-phantom-draft.1403593/#post-90190067
