By Matt Burgan 10:54 AM
Sun 30 November, 2008
Adelaide
Matt Burgan says:
Height was the priority for the Crows and they added plenty of tall timber. Four of its five selections stand 190cm-plus – Davis (192), McKernan (196), Lee (191) and Young (192). All four players are noted forwards, although they all offer versatility, particularly Davis (defender/midfielder) and McKernan (ruck/back). The Crows considered both Davis and McKernan at No.10, so the fact they got both made it a great recruiting day. Sloane is the genuine midfielder of the group.
Brisbane Lions
57. Aaron Cornelius |
Bio82. Pass
Matt Burgan says:
The Lions will consider two players a steal – Rich (No.7) and Cornelius (No.57). Rich was touted for much of the past two years as a top three pick or even No.1 draftee. Cornelius was also mooted as a first-rounder in 2007. Gaining those 'sliders' added to a good drafting day from the Lions. Midfield depth was achieved (Rich, Redden, Banfield and King), Cornelius strengthens the club's talls in attack and with just two ruckmen on its list – Jamie Charman and Matthew Leuenberger – the Lions added McCulloch to its mix.
Carlton
6. Christopher Yarran |
Bio85. Pass
Matt Burgan says:
In the lead-up to the draft, many recruiters regarded Yarran as the most talented player in this year's pool. And while that will excite Carlton fans, he also adds to its needs up forward – an area the club needed to top up. Last 'live' pick Tiller, a 17-year-old, was also taken to boost its forward stocks. Considering where Carlton's picks were – it gained three players in the 40-plus region – securing midfielder Robinson and defender O'Keefe was a bonus. The Blues passed on No.85 with ex-Demon Chris Johnson set for the NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft.
Collingwood
11. Steele Sidebottom |
Bio
Matt Burgan says:
Collingwood will be delighted with its result, considering its top three picks were gained at the latest possible scenarios. There was mail Sidebottom could be a top five pick, Beams a top 20 selection at Melbourne and Blight managed to slip past West Coast's top four choices. And Rounds was also claimed before Geelong's final pick at No.49. The quartet offer midfield depth – an area the Pies needed to replenish with its lost experience from 2007-08. Brown raised some eyebrows, but with 181 matches, he adds depth down back or up forward.
Essendon
23. David Zaharakis |
Bio79. Pass
Matt Burgan says:
With Stephen Hill locked in for Fremantle at No.3, just days before the draft, attention moved onto Essendon at No.5, where it shaped the meeting. Hurley was always the strong talk, but with Sidebottom's stocks growing and Rich's dropping, it became an intriguing selection. In the end, Essendon was never going to pass on Hurley, a 10-year-plus key defender. Utilising just four of its five picks and saving one for December, the Dons also jagged classy midfielder Zaharakis, 17-year-old key forward Still and running defender Slattery in a solid showing.
Fremantle
21. Hayden Ballantyne |
Bio53. Michael Walters |
Bio56. Benjamin Bucovaz |
Bio77. Christopher Hall |
Bio
Matt Burgan says:
A good result from the biggest player in this year's draft, Fremantle initially shaped the draft when it opted for Hill instead of Rich. And with the club needing to inject midfielders, due to the loss of Peter Bell, Shaun McManus and Josh Carr, the result was Hill, Nick Suban, Michael Walters, Tim Ruffles and Chris Hall. A small forward to replace Jeff Farmer resulted in the recruitment of Sandover Medallist Ballantyne and 203cm ruckman Clarke was added to give support to Aaron Sandilands. Bucovaz adds versatility as a defender/forward.
Geelong
Matt Burgan says:
Two defenders and two forwards equalled two talls and two smalls for Geelong. And again, it appears to be another pleasing result for Stephen Wells and his team. Key forward Brown was the bolter this year and like another Cat, 2007 draftee Harry Taylor, was the highest ranked non-NAB AFL Draft Camp attendee pre-and-post draft. Motlop, the brother of Daniel, also has plenty of tricks as a forward. Geelong also locked in key back Gillies, whose stocks continued to rise and dashing small defender Hunt, who hails from an athletics background.
Hawthorn
16. Ryan Schoenmakers |
Bio
Matt Burgan says:
The reigning premiers topped up in each positional area – adding two keys (Schoenmakers and Lisle), a couple of midfielders (Shiels and Savage) and a 204cm ruckman (Lowden). The Hawks will again be pleased, considering tall forward/defender Lisle, plucked at No.50, was the slider of the draft, when most believed he was a top 25-30 selection. Schoenmakers, a noted tall forward now earmarked for defence, is regarded as one of the best kicks in this year's pool. Shiels, Savage and Lowden are all highly-rated 17-year-olds.
Melbourne
76. Pass
Matt Burgan says:
In the end, the Demons needed key forward Watts more than ruckman Naitanui, with the retirement of David Neitz and its limited listed talls in attack, which is why he was the No.1 pick. The Dees also bolstered its midfield with Blease (touted a first-rounder before slipping through to No.17), Strauss and Bail. Two more exciting Indigenous players – Bennell and Jetta – were added as midfield/small forward options in a good draft showing. Melbourne passed on No.76, enabling it to have the first pick in the NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft.
North Melbourne
71. Warren Benjamin |
Bio
Matt Burgan says:
The Roos were delighted to snare midfielder Ziebell, especially as he was strongly linked to the Lions at No.7 in the lead-up to the draft. With Rich falling to No.7 instead, it meant the Kangas were able to swoop on a player many believed could have easily been a top five pick. North Melbourne's midfield needed addressing and Anthony and Benjamin add to this group. Wright is a forward/midfielder. O'Keefe was the one tall – a key forward – who was taken by the Roos.
Port Adelaide
22. Jackson Trengove |
Bio38. Matthew Broadbent |
Bio42. Mitchell Banner |
Bio78. Jason Davenport |
Bio84. Pass
Matt Burgan says:
The Power had a standout draft day, considering it had just two picks inside the top 40. All areas were topped up – midfield (Hartlett, Banner and Davenport), defence (Broadbent), forward (Dawson), key forward/back (Trengove) and ruck (Redden). The fact it managed to snare Hartlett and Trengove was an outstanding result. It must be remembered Trengove was rated a top 10 pick by many, particularly before his injuries this year. Could ex-Cat Davenport become the Power's new Rodan – a successful discard taken with its last pick?
Richmond
70. Pass
Matt Burgan says:
The Tigers got their men with ruckman/forward Vickery (who was regarded by some recruiters as the No.1 pick in this draft), key forward/defender Post and inside midfielder Hislop. Post shot up the rankings after he produced what many recruiters believe is one of the best TAC Cup matches of all-time – a 35-disposal and 18-mark performance late in the year. Hislop is talented – he was the No.20 draft choice in 2006 – and he will surely be eager to bounce back after being delisted by Essendon at the end of the 2008 season, due to off-field issues.
St Kilda
Matt Burgan says:
St Kilda may have opted to pass up on West Coast great Ben Cousins, but it can be more satisfied with its selections, considering it had just one inside the top 46. The Saints covered all areas, although there was an emphasis on the forward line, even though Lynch can play as a key back and Heyne (a surprise slider to No.47) is a midfield option. Cahill is the genuine key forward. Smith is a midfield speedster, Stanley a 200cm tall ruckman and ex-Lion Begley will add dash out of defence.
Sydney Swans
30. Daniel Hannebery |
Bio
Matt Burgan says:
Just the mandatory three selections from the Swans this year, with a key forward (Johnston), midfielder (Hannebery) and running defender (Heath) added to the group. The addition of a key forward was imperative for the Swans, considering Hall and O'Loughlin are nearing the end of their outstanding careers. Johnston shone at this year's NAB AFL Under 18 championships in attack and he looms as a fine long-term prospect. Hannebery was highly rated by many recruiters and Heath was plucked as a bottom-ager before next year.
West Coast
2. Nicholas Naitanui |
Bio
Matt Burgan says:
It was yet another first-class recruiting display from West Coast, with this group of players among the most talented selected by a club this year. Naitanui could've quite easily been the No.1 draft pick and many believe he could take the game to another level long-term. Midfielders Swift (No.20) and Smith (No.36) were touted by many recruiters as first-round/priority round selections. Another ball-winner Shuey was also highly-rated as a 15 to 30 prospect. Jones adds defensive depth. It will be fascinating to see this group evolve.
Western Bulldogs
31. Jordan Roughead |
Bio
Matt Burgan says:
The Dogs were the quietest player in this year's draft with just two 'live' picks – back-to-back at No.31 and No.32 – after securing 202cm ruckman Cordy via the October father/son bidding system. In the end, the Bulldogs went tall with all three picks, securing Roughead and Jones. The recruitment of another ruckman in 200cm Roughead, who can also play as a key forward, was a fine get for the Dogs, considering many recruiters rated him a potential first-rounder or top 25 pick. Jones is a 196cm key forward/defender.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
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