Priority Round
1. Western Bulldogs - Adam Cooney (West Adelaide)
The Bulldog?s won?t pull any late surprises and make Cooney their number 1 pick of the draft. Widely tipped from midseason to go at Number 1, he has explosive speed and great balance. Will play next season as he already has played senior football in the SANFL.
2. Carlton - Andrew Walker (Bendigo Pioneers)
While he isn?t the 2nd best player in the draft he is the kind of player Carlton wants to build its list for the future. Medium, inside midfielder who is athletic and evasive. Has a strong aerobic capacity to run and carry the ball forward. Strong overhead. Will go in the Top 5, but this is the player Carlton wants and they will get him
3. Melbourne - Colin Sylvia (Bendigo Pioneers)
With Melbourne wanting midfielders and more importantly hard at it midfielders, Sylvia is the one they want. Has been compared to Michael Voss and should become of the best players in the league within 5 years. Medium, inside forward/midfielder who is a tremendous tackler. Player who leads by example. Great work ethic and very competitive. Had outstanding 2003 season winning All Australian U18 honours, TAC Cup coaches award and Pioneers B & F Award.
Round One
4. Western Bulldogs - Kepler Bradley (West Perth)
Even though they got Rawlings and drafted a lot of talls last season, I can?t see the Bulldogs wanting to pass up on Bradley who can play as a key position backman or a ruckman after picking up Cooney and the amount of good young midfielders they already have. Tall, outside ruckman who is athletic and has endurance. Good ball winner. Winner of the Larke Medal for best Division One player at the National AFL U/18 Championships. All-Australian U/18 in 2003. Wants to play for the Swans but he won?t fall to pick 16, so it?s a Bulldog he becomes.
5. Melbourne - Kane Tenace (Murray Bushrangers)
Melbourne as I said above need midfielders and the next best available is Tenace. Getting him and Sylvia is very good trading for the Dees and in a few years they will have one of the best midfields going around. Medium, inside midfielder who has exceptional pace and ball handling ability. Can break free in a pack situation to run and carry the ball forward. High possession winner who always hits targets.
6. Essendon - Brock McLean (Calder Cannons)
Essendon are very high on this kid and will shock many people by selecting McLean at number 6. Medium, inside midfielder who is strong player at the contest. Great leader who is prepared to bring other players into the game. Can go forward and kick goals and has great awareness.
7. Geelong - Troy Chaplin (Nth Ballarat Rebels)
For the last 3 off season?s now Geelong have been trying to buy the best available Tall Forward without any luck, so they finally have decided to go after the best one available in the draft and hop like hell he is ready within a year or 2 because otherwise they won?t get any better at kicking winning scores. Tall forward with endurance and versatility. Is composed under pressure and reads the play well.
8. St Kilda - Raphael Clarke (St Mary?s - Darwin)
So dearly wanted to join his brother at St Kilda and thanks to other clubs having more important needs, he end up at St Kilda. A year ago was tipped to be the number 1 pick in this draft and had 14 clubs talk to him at the draft camp. Could of gone Top 10 in last years draft if he was eligible. Medium, outside forward who rarely gets beaten one-on-one. Athletic type, with a good aerobic capacity.
9. Kangaroos - Farren Ray (Peel Thunder)
With Anthony Stevens winding down his career, and North lack of depth in the midfield the Roos pick up the best midfielder from the West. Medium, inside midfielder with creative talent and good athleticism. Strong and brave in the air. Will be the perfect replacement for Stevens in a year or two.
10. Fremantle - Ryley Dunn (Murray Bushrangers)
With plenty of depth in the key positions, Freo move to add depth to the rest of the list. Dunn is a hard at it Medium, inside forward/defender who has great hardness around the contest. Likes it in tight, and has clean hands.
11. West Coast - Callum Burges (West Perth/Hale HS)
Reports during the season had the Eagles ?hiding? him, the Eagle denied this was the case but with other clubs showing a keen interest in him, the Eagles act quickly to snap him up. While the Eagles don?t really need another midfielder, they feel he is too good to pass up. Burges is described as an athletic midfielder who is dynamic up forward and a penetrating kick. Extremely versatile he is also very quick and a good mark.
12. Fremantle - Jacob Surjan (South Fremantle)
Fremantle go with a local junior with their 2nd pick in the first round, and with the need for inside midfielders at the club, he is worth the punt in Freo?s eyes. Fairly small onballer who loves to go forward and kick the impossible goal. He always looks dangerous with the ball and is so elusive he would be hard to close down.
13. Essendon - Ricky Dyson (Northern Knights)
The Bomber continue to stock up on young midfielders. Medium, outside forward/midfielder with pace. Penetrating left foot kick who is dangerous from outside 50. Has leadership qualities and sets example through high work ethic.
14. Adelaide - Brent Hall (South Fremantle)
The Crows want a ruckman and they see Hall as the best available in the draft. Hall is one of the best ruck prospects in the draft. His tap work was very good during the year and is also capable of drifting forward and is pretty good overhead.
15. Port Adelaide - Will Gayfer (Murray Bushrangers)
After delisting Paxman and with Wakelin getting on in age, the Power are in need of key position defenders and to me Gayfer is the best available in the draft. He has an excellent ability to read the play. Extremely strong overhead, with the flight and in contested situations. Is very good at floating across and cutting off attacks with his judgement.
16. Sydney - Michael Johnson (Perth)
Well this is the decision I guess most of you are going to attack most of all. I believe that the Swans should use this pick to get one of the tall defenders in the draft and with Gayfer already gone, I feel Johnson is the best available. He played in every game in the seniors with his club Perth this year and was quite impressive. Very skilled and has great composure and most importantly can play across Centre Half Back and can go forward and be dangerous. A tall, athletic Aboriginal player in the Adam Goodes mould.
17. Collingwood - Billy Morrison (Tassie Mariners)
Collingwood are after players with heart after the Grand Final showing, but what kind of players in unknown. What I feel they needed was another solid tall forward to take the pressure off Tarrant and put the pressure back on the Brisbane defence. So with their first selection the Pies take Morrison who many believe was a top 10 selection, but a season ending injury to his shoulder has seen him slip to pick 17. Basically he is a full forward, although he can play back if needed.
18. Brisbane Lions - Fergus Watts (Sandringham Dragons)
Clearly the Lions are looking to replace Lynch so with Watts available at their first pick the Lions will bite the hand off the AFL to pick him up. Clearly one of the better tall forwards available in the draft. Tall, inside key forward who is an outstanding contested mark. Very competitive player has good skills and endurance. A real steal for the Lions who seem to do no wrong in the draft since winning the first of their premierships.
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