Now that the AFL’s participant alternate interval has wrapped up for one more 12 months, consideration is popping to the draft, which is scheduled as a one-day occasion on December 9.
Picking a phantom draft this far out from the actual factor is difficult sufficient at the most effective of occasions, and 2020 as everyone knows just isn’t the most effective of occasions.
Most Victorian prospects have gone the whole 12 months with out taking part in any soccer, and provided that often at the least half or extra of the draft is made up of Victorians every year, that makes it very laborious to choose.
On top of that we now have to contemplate that golf equipment can nonetheless do choose swaps each within the lead-up to and reside throughout the draft – and I’m anticipating they might develop into lively on this as soon as listing sizes are confirmed.
There are various golf equipment with a number of teen picks like GWS (10, 13, 15, 20), Collingwood (14, 16) or Melbourne (18, 19) who could also be trying to bundle picks collectively and commerce up the order.
But to do this they should discover a keen companion and given the dearth of certainty past the top handful of prospects this 12 months, I’m undecided many if golf equipment holding picks contained in the top ten shall be trying to commerce out of it.
It’s a draft that has some promising key place prospects on the top, and a gaggle of inside midfielder varieties in direction of the center.
That may show attention-grabbing given how few golf equipment appears to be in want of real inside mids in the mean time. Many similar to Connor Blakely, Will Brodie or Aaron Vandenberg went on the commerce desk lately solely to obtain no actual curiosity.
The expertise pool isn’t helped both by the very fact Gold Coast will be capable to signal two top-30 prospects, Alex Davies and Joel Jeffrey, outdoors the draft although precedence help concessions.
It’s all fairly murky and with even the No.1 choose being a matter of some debate, I may simply go 0-25 on my picks this far out. But, I can not resist a little bit of hypothesis! So right here, for posterity, is my very early 2020 phantom draft.
Pick 1 – Adelaide – Logan McDonald
196cm, 85kg, WA
The Crows have been linked time and time once more to native prospect Riley Thilthorpe right here, however whereas they’ve been identified to favour the native boys at occasions, I don’t suppose that ought to come into it at choose 1.
McDonald has stood head and shoulders above the remainder this 12 months, a daily goalkicker within the WAFL and named of their workforce of the 12 months as an 18-year-old. Seems too good to overlook out on.
Jaiden Hunter of WA Black and Logan McDonald of WA Gold (Photo by Paul Kane/AFL Photos/through Getty Images)
Pick 2 – Western Bulldogs (matching bid) – Jamarra Ugle-Hagan
194cm, 84kg, VIC
Should entice a bid right here if not at No.1. Ugle-Hagan is broadly thought-about the most effective participant within the draft, a tall ahead who has been repeatedly in comparison with Lance Franklin.
Pick 3 – North Melbourne – Elijah Hollands
188cm, 85kg, VIC
Would have missed the season resulting from an ACL harm even when there was a season to overlook, however Hollands remains to be thought-about the most effective midfield prospect within the draft by most.
The top-end tall gamers would even be an amazing match for North, however Hollands’ promise as a mid who goes ahead in all probability simply edges them out.
Pick 4 – Sydney – Denver Grainger-Barras
195cm, 78kg, WA
Especially after now dropping Aliir Aliir the Swans ought to be concentrating on a key defender, and Grainger-Barras is an ideal match. Has performed the season in WAFL seniors, repeatedly clunking intercept marks.
Pick 5 – Hawthorn – Riley Thilthorpe
200cm, 99kg, SA
Thilthorpe may go as early as choose 1 but when not, he might slide to the Hawks right here the place he’s good worth. A key forward-ruckman with elite endurance, he’d be an amazing long-term piece.
Pick 6 – Gold Coast – Will Phillips
180cm, 79kg, VIC
This is a tough choose for Gold Coast who don’t essentially want a mid like Phillips, however may discover him too laborious to go up. He performed alongside Rowell and Anderson final 12 months.
They’ve been rumoured as a workforce desirous to commerce up – I think to focus on Grainger-Barras as a key defender, although that’s purely my very own conjecture.
If that doesn’t pan out, possibly they go early on one other tall again prospect like Zach Reid or Heath Chapman. They may not be an excessive amount of of a stretch this early.
Pick 7 – Sydney (matching bid) – Braeden Campbell
180cm, 73kg, NSW
The Bombers would love Will Phillips to slide by means of, both approach, I think they’re a very good probability to bid on Braeden Campbell sooner or later.
There’s no query Sydney will match. Campbell is a extremely well-rounded midfielder with velocity and ahead nous – an amazing prospect.
Pick 8 – Essendon – Tanner Bruhn
182cm, 73kg, VIC
A calmly constructed however stylish midfielder, Bruhn possibly isn’t precisely what the Bombers want however with three picks in a row right here it’s laborious to see him getting previous them.
Pick 9 – Essendon – Zach Reid
202cm, 82kg, VIC
As Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker’s careers wind down, the Bombers may use a younger key defender. Reid is a good match – greater than tall sufficient, is aware of the way to intercept, and is a top quality kick.
Pick 10 – Essendon – Finlay Macrae
184cm, 74kg, VIC
Macrae is a midfield accumulator with good disposal – like his brother Jack on the Bulldogs. Maybe not the large physique Essendon are on the lookout for, however a blue-chip midfield prospect nonetheless.
Finlay Macrae of the Chargers (Photo by Mike Owen/AFL Photos through Getty Images)
Pick 11 – Port Adelaide (matching bid) – Lachie Jones
185cm, 88kg, SA
The Crows may stoke some South Australian rivalry by making a bid on Port’s NGA prospect Lachie Jones right here – Port will match, however I’m positive Adelaide could be glad for them not too.
Jones is a gifted half again flanker who has performed at senior stage within the SANFL all season lengthy and continued to impress.
Pick 12 – Adelaide – Archie Perkins
186cm, 77kg, VIC
Having taken a tall with choose 1 a midfielder is smart for the Crows right here, and Perkins is likely to be the most effective left on the board. He’s a well-balanced prospect who may also play as a ahead.
Pick 13 – GWS – Oliver Henry
188cm, 76kg, VIC
Henry is an thrilling and athletic medium ahead who makes use of the ball effectively. He is a harmful albeit low-possession participant who may add one thing totally different to GWS’ ahead combine.
Pick 14 – North Melbourne – Heath Chapman
193cm, 81kg, WA
Although they picked up Aidan Corr as a free agent, North would like to take a tall backman for the long run. Chapman matches the invoice, he has nice intercepting capability and elite endurance.
Pick 15 – Fremantle – Jack Carroll
188cm, 79kg, WA
A younger key ahead might be Fremantle’s largest want however laborious to search out at this stage of the draft. Local midfielder Carroll, who’s a pleasant measurement for a midfielder but additionally very fast, might be a very good match.
Pick 16 – GWS – Nik Cox
199cm, 92kg, VIC
Cox is an athletic key place participant who has performed at each ends of the bottom, making his future position at AFL stage unclear. A high-potential choice for the Giants.
Pick 17 – Collingwood – Brayden Cook
189cm, 82kg, SA
The Pies is likely to be hoping for a tall at one in every of their picks and one is likely to be obtainable. If not, tall wingman/half-forward Cook is likely to be somebody they contemplate.
Pick 18 – Collingwood (matching bid) – Reef McInnes
192cm, 84kg, VIC
Having picks 14, 16 then 65, Collingwood are in an attention-grabbing place with NGA prospect McInnes. They’d prefer to get each picks in earlier than a bid after which in all probability go into 2021 deficit for him, however there are not any ensures.
I’ve the Giants bidding on him right here but it surely might be a detailed name. McInnes is a tall, athletic participant who has been used everywhere in the floor however will in all probability be developed as a midfielder.
Pick 19 – GWS – Tom Powell
184cm, 74kg, SA
The Giants are a tough workforce to choose for, particularly having two picks already. With 4 early picks they in all probability look so as to add to their midfield sooner or later, and Powell – who racks up possessions prefer it’s going out of fashion – is likely to be one they take a look at.
(Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)
Pick 20 – Richmond – Eddie Ford
189cm, 83kg, VIC
An already unpredictable draft is turning into much more so by the point we get up to now. Having taken some huge inside mids lately, maybe Richmond go in a distinct path right here and choose an athletic medium ahead.
Pick 21 – Melbourne – Bailey Laurie
178cm, 76kg, VIC
The Dees didn’t wind up including velocity throughout the commerce interval so maybe they do it right here on the draft with small midfielder Bailey Laurie.
Pick 22 – Sydney (matching bid) – Errol Gulden
171cm, 71kg, NSW
Gulden has performed by means of each the midfield and as a ahead, at his top, you’d count on he does the latter at AFL stage. The Dees might place a bid right here, actually the Swans will match.
Pick 23 – Melbourne – Nathan O’Driscoll
187cm, 78kg, WA
Another inside midfielder is hardly what Melbourne wants, and lots of see O’Driscoll as that. That mentioned, he’s additionally performed as a halfback or on the wing, so they could recruit him for these positions.
Pick 24 – GWS – Henry Walsh
203cm, 87kg, VIC
Do GWS want a younger ruckman? Having simply recruited Braydon Preuss they appear to have a repair for now, they usually do have some younger prospects in Matt Flynn and Kieren Briggs on the listing.
That mentioned neither Flynn or Briggs has performed a recreation, making them every one thing of an unknown. With so many picks to spend, maybe the Giants may attain just a little for Henry Walsh, brother of Carlton’s Sam.
Pick 25 – St Kilda – Jake Bowey
175cm, 86kg
St Kilda’s curiosity in James Frawley suggests a key defender is one thing they’d prefer to have, sadly, there is probably not in an amazing place right here except one in every of them slides unexpectedly.
Bowey is as an alternative an undersized midfielder, however one who possesses velocity and is a good consumer of the ball – traits golf equipment are all the time trying so as to add. His father Brett performed 85 video games for the membership.
