AFL: What every club needs in the mid-season draft
Collingwood’s forward line has failed to fire and Carlton’s forward pressure is amiss. Should these ex-AFL forwards come into their mid-season draft thinking?
AFL
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More than 300 players have already nominated for the mid-season draft and now AFL club’s will have to decide who to take a chance on to fill holes or make their lists better.
Decision date is Wednesday, June 2. Who will follow in the footsteps of the likes of two-time premiership Tiger Marlion Pickett and regular AFL men John Noble and Will Snelling?
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News Corp footy experts have joined forces to run the rule over every club’s needs and predict who they might target.
ADELAIDE
The Crows have three list spots available and are set to take two players in the Draft.
Lachie Murphy’s syndesmosis injury has further emphasised the Crows desire to add a small forward, while midfield speed could also be targeted.
South Adelaide tackling machine Eamon Wilkinson is set to come under consideration, as could Panthers teammate Hayden Sampson – son of 1997 Premiership Crow Clay.
Zane Williams at Woodville-West Torrens is getting interest from AFL clubs and booted four goals against the Crows’ SANFL side this season, while in Victoria Eastern Rangers’ Corey Preston has attributes Adelaide is looking for.
Tasmanian inside midfielder Oliver Davis has been training with the club and is playing for the Crows SANFL side but is more of an outside chance to be taken in the Mid-Season Draft.
BRISBANE LIONS
The Lions don’t have a vacant list spot, leaving them unlikely to take part in the mid-season draft barring any serious long-term injuries. The club does have the option to put Cam Rayner – who has been ruled out for the season with an ACL injury – on the long-term injury list though and pick up another player in the mid season draft. The plan of attack is still being discussed by Brisbane hierarchy.
CARLTON
Will have at least one spot and will assess what David Cuningham’s knee injury means for the list. Former Magpie and Adelaide Crows’ mid-size forward Ben Crocker, 24, is on the radar to get an opportunity at a third club. Crocker has been in sensational form in the VFL, booting 16 goals in four games. The popular club man has averaged 124 ranking points, 5.5 marks inside-50m and a whopping 11 score involvements a match for the Blues’ VFL team. Carlton has some opportunity in the forward half after losing Jack Martin, Zac Fisher and Cuningham to injury this year. The Blues are midtable for forward half pressure.
COLLINGWOOD
Is this where the Magpies take a risk on a highly-talented player who has been cut for behavioural issues? Former Tiger and Crows’ livewire Tyson Stengle is someone who could make a difference to Collingwood’s forward half, adding some electric speed and goal kicking power. Beau McCreery has shown promising signs as a pressure forward and Josh Thomas and Will Hoskin-Elliott have been used more in the midfield this season. Stengle, 21, was cut by Richmond and Adelaide for misdemeanours including being caught in possession of cocaine alongside former Crow and St Kilda midfield hard nut Brad Crouch and is one of the most intriguing options in this year’s talent pool. Can he commit to a disciplined and professional lifestyle? It would be a punt.
ESSENDON
In a strong position to take the best available talent after an excellent draft haul last year adding Archie Perkins, Nick Cox and Zach Reid, as well as former St Kilda speedster Nick Hind in exchange for a bargain-basement late pick. Slick Western Jets’ halfback Cody Raak, who is tied to the Western Bulldogs through the next generation academy program, could be a nice fit. A developing ruck such as Oakleigh’s Ned Moyle or Calder’s Liam Podhajski may appeal as a long-term play or former Geelong key defender Blake Schlensog to help support an injury-hit backline missing Michael Hurley. The Bombers could go a few different ways. Couldn’t rule out a strong ball winner either as the Bombers rank 16th for contested possession differential this season.
FREMANTLE
The Dockers technically don’t have any list vacancies, but young players Heath Chapman (shoulder) and Sam Sturt (knee) are out for the season and can be moved to the inactive list. They’ve ruled out Stephen Hill retiring early to open up a spot. A tall defender who could potentially play this year or ruck project wouldn’t be the worst idea, given Joel Hamling, Alex Pearce and Luke Ryan have all spent time out this year.
GEELONG
The Cats don’t have any list openings or long-term injuries, so something would have to change for them to get involved. Patrick Dangerfield (ankle) and Gryan Miers (fractured leg) have the longest recovery time ahead of them but they should be back inside five weeks. They have a veteran core and depth at most spots, so it’s unlikely they will try to manoeuvre anything.
GOLD COAST
Gold Coast currently have no spots available on their list. However they do have the option to add someone to their long-term injury list – players such as Jarrod Witts and Connor Budarick who are both out for the season with ACL injuries – and recruit another ruck through the mid season draft. Back up tall timbers Zac Smith and Sam Day are tracking well to return from their own knee injuries so the club will be weighing up their options in the coming weeks.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
If any club needs some injury relief, it’s the Giants. They don’t have any list openings, but key defender Lachie Keeffe’s season-ending ACL rupture and subsequent knee reconstruction means one can be created. GWS skipped the mid-season draft two years ago and is typically tight in the salary cap, so that could preclude it from getting involved. The Giants’ main need is a tall defender, especially with Keeffe’s injury.
HAWTHORN
Jon Patton’s retirement in April has created a spot for the Hawks, who could also open further vacancies if they choose to place James Sicily (knee) and/or Seamus Mitchell (ankle) on the inactive list. Coach Alastair Clarkson indicated after Patton’s decision that they would look to fill his list spot in the mid-season draft. It wouldn’t surprise to see Hawthorn pluck one of the ruck options in contention, including Jacob Edwards, Ned Moyle and Max Heath. Ben McEvoy and Jon Ceglar are both in their 30s and Ned Reeves is yet to make his AFL debut. Jackson Callow and Will Bravo trained with the Hawks in the pre-season and have nominated for the mid-season draft.
MELBOURNE
This is a tough side to break into at the moment, but the Demons might be interested in taking a flyer on a longer-term prospect. The season-ending injuries to Marty Hore, Aaron Nietschke and Adam Tomlinson mean they can get involved if they choose to. Werribee dasher Kye Declase and Swan Districts’ Kobe Farmer – son of Jeff – have both nominated for the mid-season draft after training with the club in the pre-season. Melbourne picked Majak Daw and Deakyn Smith over that pair as pre-season supplemental selection period signings. They already have Next Generation Academy ruck prospect Mac Andrew available at the end of the year, so key defensive depth could be a priority.
NORTH MELBOURNE
Opposition clubs believe it is already a “done deal” that the Kangaroos will pick up Victorian Jacob Edwards with pick No.1 in the mid-season draft.
Edwards had not nominated as of the end of last week, but has until May 25 to do so.
The 202cm Sandringham Dragons product is still in Year 12 at Mentone Grammar but is a left-footer who can kick goals as a forward, run through the ruck and impact in the air.
Some scouts believe Edwards is capable of playing some senior games for the Kangaroos this year.
The Kangaroos also have a second list spot available and could open up a third spot by moving the injured Flynn Perez (knee) to the inactive list given he has been ruled out for the season.
PORT ADELAIDE
The Power have a list spot available, but at this stage are planning on not entering the Draft.
But, if the Power’s long injury list continues to grow then Port might have to look at bringing another player to the club.
The issue for the Power though, is that they are unsure whether any of the talent out there could almost immediately add to their side at AFL level.
RICHMOND
The Tigers struck gold by selecting Marlion Pickett in the 2019 mid-season draft, but it remains unclear whether they will make a selection this year.
Richmond does not currently have a vacant list spot, however ruckman Ivan Soldo (knee) remains a “long term” prospect on the club’s injury list and could be moved to the inactive list to open up a spot.
However, Soldo had been expected back at some stage later this season and the Tigers would want to give the 2019 premiership player every chance to return for the pointy end of the season.
ST KILDA
The Saints have options if they want to use them.
They were left with one spare list spot even after signing ruckman Paul Hunter and forward Mason Wood through the AFL’s pre-season Supplementary Selection Period.
The retirement of Dylan Roberton opened a second spot and there is also the option to put Jade Gresham (Achilles) and Ben Paton (leg) on the inactive list, given both have been ruled out for the season.
That leaves four possible selections – not that the Saints are likely to use all of them.
The Saints appear to have most bases covered on their list as it stands, but could look to select a talented young player or two.
SYDNEY
The Swans left one spot open to give themselves the option of grabbing someone in the mid-season draft. Paddy McCartin is playing with the club’s VFL team but is serving an untimely five-week ban for whacking Geelong’s Aaron Black. Whether that incident or McCartin’s lack of matches will cruel his draft hopes remains to be seen. A long-term ruck option could be on the cards, given Tom Hickey and Callum Sinclair are both over 30 and Sam Naismith is on the way back from a second knee reconstruction. Sydney picked two players – Michael Knoll and Cody Hirst – in this draft in 2019.
WEST COAST
The Eagles don’t currently have a list spot and don’t have any season-ending injuries, leaving them unlikely to play a part in the mid-season draft.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs don’t currently have a list spot and don’t have any season-ending injuries, leaving them unlikely to play a part in the mid-season draft.
Josh Dunkley (shoulder) and Lin Jong (hamstring) are still expected to return in the later part of the season after surgeries.
The club signed midfielder Anthony Scott during the AFL’s pre-season Supplementary Selection Period.
Originally published as AFL: What every club needs in the mid-season draft
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