Rookie Draft

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From the Colac Herald

YOUNG Birregurra footballer Lewis Melican has received an invitation to test himself in front of Sydney Swans recruiters.

The AFL�s national and state combines are on this week, giving aspiring young footballers an opportunity to test themselves and meet AFL officials.

And while Melican, 17, fell below the criteria to receive an invitation, the Sydney Swans have requested to see more of the talented Geelong Falcons footballer.

Falcons regional manager Michael Turner, regarded as one of the best judges of junior talent in football, was full of praise for the 192-centimetre key-position player.

�I actually tried hard to get him to the state screening because I rate him as a fantastic prospect � he�s big and tall and he�s getting stronger every week,� Turner said.

�Unfortunately you need interest from at least two AFL clubs to get to the state screening, but there has been a special request from the Sydney Swans to see more of Lewie,� he said.

Melican was consistent in the early part of the TAC Cup season with the Geelong Falcons.

He hit his straps towards the end, ranking among the team�s best players in four of his final five games, including the team�s two finals.

Turner said Melican made the most of his opportunities as the season progressed, after battling teammates for the team�s key roles earlier in the year.

�You�ve got to remember we�ve got a lot of good defenders, guys like Hugh Goddard and Zaine Cordy, who will get drafted, were holding down those key roles and Lewie didn�t have those opportunities at the start,� he said.

�But when they were playing school footy or state footy, Lewie got his opportunity and really made the most of it.

�He played on, and beat, some really good players.

�He played on Jed Lamb from Dandenong, who�s expected to get drafted, and kept him quiet twice.�

Melican averaged 5.2 kicks and 3.5 handballs a game, at 65-per-cent efficiency, in his first full season with the Falcons, playing 19 games.

[ScottH]

can't find any info on him! A smokey!

Edit: we were looking at him in October. Tall defender

Sydney Swans want to see more of Birregurra defender - colacherald.com.aucolacherald.com.au

Draft Tracker has spat the dummy. So no good there.

[Ludwig]

Melican could be a good find : Sydney Swans want to see more of Birregurra defender - colacherald.com.aucolacherald.com.au
In the article it mentions Jed Lamb, but they mean Tom Lamb who was picked up by the Eagles at pick 32 and is a very athletic player.

And it rhymes with Pelican. Can't go wrong. A cross between Malceski and Bird.


Good job by the recruiters. The team is more balanced now after picking up 2 KPDs. We've done well with our rookies in the past. Hope it continues.

[Conor_Dillon]

Pretty impressive from Newman to go from the development team in 2013 to Fothergill-Round medallist this year...let's hope he can keep up that steep improvement!

[tasmania60]

All look solid, big bloke gets good wraps ,but why didnt geelong pick him up ? Dont know how there defense stocks are . wonder how many diamonds we pick up !

[jono2707]

Looks like some good pick ups in the Rookie draft. Very happy that we drafted primarily based on need and that we got a few likely types.

[wolftone57]

Newman's delivery seems very good. He has also been playing Seniors for Frankston so he knows how to mix it with the big boys. He is a mature ager so hopefully he will have maturity.

McLaren looks a good prospect. Reasonable stats and some good scalps.

Melican I'd like to see some footage of. But he will certainly be welcome as our talls stocks needed restocking. There will be enough to fill the backline this year in both Seniors and reserves. It was always a problem in the Reserves if we had a few injuries and with Aliir injured and losing Xav for a match or two it put huge pressure on our young medium kids and toward the end Davis went back (a good move). So we will have some good, healthy rivalry for defensive possies.

By the way Jordan Foote is hard! Hard in the Hodge hard type. I liked him the first time I saw him for the Twos. He will be a good Twos player and if things go well a good Seniors player. Like Newman not a fashionable player. By that i mean even though they have a bit of pace they are not speedsters. Jordan is hard at the contest and tough. He is a very good mark. I liked this about the footage of Newman too. Really strong, hard at the ball, strong overhead, with good delivery.

[Conor_Dillon]

Newman is the cousin of Chris and is a very similar left-foot kick...probably more penetrating though

[Untamed Snark]

PSD over in 5 seconds. Carlton get Jason Tutt, no other selections made.

Sydney to takes Jordan Foote with 9th round selection

So we have a Foote in the door?

[troyjones2525]

Really like what we've done in the rookie draft, I'm a lot happier now with these selections than after we picked Rose, admittedly because A. I had never heard of him and B. I wanted us to select a key defender. We have addressed most of our glaring needs now so hopefully they all develop well and we should be primed for another attack at the flag for the next 5 years with the talent to be added in the next draft or 2!

[Steve]

Newman looks like a good pick-up, we desperately need a half-back who can kick to replace Malceski. Shaw, Rampe (although he improved in 2014) and Rohan are ordinary kicks and we really risk having McVeigh targeted and shut down.

You comapre Hawthorn's backline for skill and ball use and we're a class below - Hodge, Birchall, Gibson, Suckling etc and we've just lost the only player who was at that level.

[magic.merkin]

Newman's long left kicks. Someone get me a bib. What we needed! Also seems to weight the ball well to advantage.

- - - Updated - - -

... and Rohan are ordinary kicks and we really risk having McVeigh targeted and shut down.

Gary won the kicking comp at the draft combine, and i think has shown well enough since. A bit nervy and some major blunders at key times in the last month or so this year. But i'm not about to write off his kicking yet.