After weeks of build up, including a trade period opening prematurely, the Nana's Draft on Monday afternoon finally put an end to silly season.. for now.
Let's review the selections from the eight respective sides on draft day.
Selections: Matthew Rowell (1), Tom Green (2), Lachlan Ash (41), Noah Anderson (44), Deven Robertson (51), Dylan Stephens (52), Liam Stocker (53), Jye Caldwell (55), Sam Flanders (65), Hayden Young (73)
Expected to take the Gold Coast duo in Rowell and Anderson with the first two picks, Heeney Some Milk opted for Rowell and Green instead, and were then forced to wait until the sixth round before their next pick.
To say Holland entered this draft with a focus on youth is an understatement, with 20-year-old Stocker the eldest selection by last year’s wooden-spooners with eight of the ten selections still yet to debut.
However, the foundation is now there for Heeney Some Milk, but this side is still a long way from being anywhere near competitive and another gruelling season looms ahead.
Selections: Rory Atkins (4), Jackson Hately (9), Jarrod Berry (10), Jonathan Ceglar (11), Tom Lynch (33), Anthony Miles (50), Jordan Clark (58), John Noble (60), Josh Battle (63)
A pick swap between The Catholic Church and NANA Winner saw TCC’s first selection leave the franchise immediately after joining. The Catholic Church received Fritsch and Rowbottom from the reigning premier, in return for Atkins and Miles.
While Hedges continued his youth focus, there were a few surprise mature-aged selections that suggest his side could be ready to contend this season.
The Rowbottom selection in the second round raised eyebrows, with some fellow coaches unaware of the Sydney midfielder, but if his Marsh form continues, the 19-year-old could be the steal of the draft.
Selections: Nick Haynes (3), Blake Acres (17), Jonathan Patton (24), Charlie Cameron (27), Jamie Elliott (28), Kyle Langford (35), Caleb Serong (43), Luke Jackson (59), Jordan Ridley (67), Zac Fisher (75)
A sudden name change and a sudden interest in the league saw #BeatJesse leave the draft with a very competitive line-up for season 2020.
There was a lot of speculation around who Harry Roberts would take with Pick 3, and after snatching up Nick Haynes, Roberts now finds his side with one of the strongest backlines in the league.
With a relatively young list, #BeatJesse selected even more young talent, including two solid picks from the most recent AFL draft in Serong and Jackson.
It was a stellar draft for #BeatJesse today, and if Roberts pays attention to his side in 2020, then they could be a serious contender this season.
Selections: Tim Membrey (12), Tom McDonald (13), Connor McKenna (15), Will Snelling (19), Jarrod Lienert (34), Quinton Narkle (36), Adam Cerra (39), Ben Brown (42), Joel Selwood (47)
It seemed every time Max’s Team made their selection, there was always a lot up for discussion, especially so with Tim Membrey being taken at Pick 12.
A healthy mix of youth and experience sees Max’s Team able to fight for finals in 2020, but also leaves a solid platform for a rebuild – if things don’t go to plan.
While Read selected some strong talent, questions were raised over how early his side decided to swoop on the likes of Membrey, McDonald and McKenna, though a strong outing in Read’s “fifth-round blitz” provided the side with some handy players for the foreseeable future.
Selections: Chris Mayne (5), Lance Franklin (20), Will Hoskin-Elliott (25), Stefan Martin (29), Paul Seedsman (38), James Aish (49), Patrick Ryder (57), Marlion Pickett (61), Isaac Cumming (69), Adam Kennedy (77)
The UUFFT came straight out of the gate on draft day, selecting the 31-year-old Chris Mayne at Pick 5 despite already boasting a relatively strong backline.
A 33-year-old Lance Franklin was then taken with Pick 20, as coach Jesse Fienemann left no doubts about whether The UUFFT was in “win-now mode” for season 2020.
Towards the back-end of the draft, Fienemann consistently found a good fit for his side, with players like Pickett, Ryder and Kennedy rounding out a well-balanced team.
After falling short last season, The UUFFT have seemingly gone all-in in 2020 after passing on plenty of youth in the draft; locked in on taking that next step this season.
Selections: Sam Powell-Pepper (6), Darcy Tucker (21), Dylan Roberton (26), Jack Redden (30), Sam Lloyd (45), Jack Darling (46), Bailey Dale (54), Peter Ladhams (62), Shane Edwards (70)
With an already strong line-up that was unlucky to miss out on last year’s Grand Final, there wasn’t too much pressure for Gabe Fienemann to get it right on draft day.
Dylan Roberton will prove a handy addition to Gabe’s Team’s defensive stocks, with the defender sliding to the third round after missing the entire 2019 season with a heart issue.
Fienemann, who managed to get the day off work to attend the draft, kept it safe with his selections. Some early picks have the potential to break out, but Fienemann will know what to expect from his other draftees in 2020.
Selections: Brandan Parfitt (7), Luke Dunstan (14), Ben Ainsworth (18), Oliver Florent (22), Callan Ward (31), Liam Shiels (37), Liam Duggan (66), Aiden Bonar (68), Sean Darcy (71), Charlie Curnow (74), Nathan Jones (78), Sam Gray (79)
It turned out to be a relatively casual draft day for last year’s runners-up, with Sam Carruthers’ making the most of a few draft sliders.
While BOO! remain in win-now mode, they still managed to claim some enticing young players who could be a part of the franchise for a long time in Parfitt, Florent and Darcy.
Whether Carruthers’ acquisitions from the draft will create enough of an impact to get them over the line in 2020 remains to be seen; but the subtle touch of youth provides BOO! with not only a safety net for the future, but also some trade bait throughout the season.
Selections: Bayley Fritsch (8), James Rowbottom (16), Matt Taberner (23), David Swallow (32), Taylor Duryea (40), Brody Mihocek (48), Chayce Jones (56), Rhys Stanley (64), Michael Hibberd (72), Taylor Walker (80)
Tyson Manthorpe entered the draft hoping Rory Atkins would still be available at Pick 8, so when he wasn’t, the notoriously anti-trade list manager was forced into packaging a deal for the Crows’ defender.
Last year’s reigning premiers effectively swapped Picks 8 and 16 for Atkins and 50, which they would eventually use on Anthony Miles, but what’s most important is they got their man.
Some other selections (see: Matt Taberner) were filled with instant regret from Manthorpe, while Michael Hibberd, who slid to Pick 72, could prove to be a diamond in the rough with the Melbourne defender hoping to return to his All-Australian form.
Comments