The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

2016 AFL Draft: How did your club do? My take on every team

Expert
25th November, 2016
Advertisement
The top ten draft picks presented during the AFL Draft in Sydney, Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Expert
25th November, 2016
114
5183 Reads

After much waiting and speculation the 2016 AFL Draft was completed last night, and fans all over the country are starting to familiarise themselves with the new players who will be wearing their colours in 2017.

The draft can be pretty difficult to make any big calls on in the immediate period afterward – we have no idea what will become of these players, because their stories are still yet to be written.

That being said, below I have put together a short team-by-team look at the new players arriving at each of AFL’s eighteen clubs, and offered some quick thoughts from myself on each club’s draft.

Have a read and let me know what you thought of the draft in the comments.

Adelaide Crows
15 – Jordan Gallucci
44 – Myles Poholke
52 – Elliot Himmelberg
62 – Matthew Signorello
75 – Ben Davis

The Crows used their first pick to add some elite pace to their midfield in the form of Jordan Gallucci, then picked up some more speculative types including a versatile tall in Elliot Himmelberg (brother of GWS Giant, Harrison).

My take: A solid crop given they only had one pick in the first 40. Gallucci will need to develop a bit so it seems unlikely any of these will make a big impact in 2017.

Brisbane Lions
3 – Hugh McCluggage
17 – Jarrod Berry
23 – Alex Witherden
24 – Cedric Cox
55 – Jacob Allison
71 – Corey Lyons

Advertisement

Add some class, grunt and leadership to their midfield with McCluggage and Berry, and then some good movers out of the backline in Witherden and Cox. Allison and Lyons have some promise too.

My take: One of the big winners. They traded pick No.2 in a deal to get picks No.3 and No.16, and got a guy many would’ve taken at pick No.1, plus Berry, who could captain the club one day.

Carlton Blues
6 – Sam Petrevski-Seton
27 – Zac Fisher
47 – Harrison Macreadie
59 – Cameron Polson
61 – Tom Williamson
65 – Patrick Kerr

The Blues addressed a need for more midfielders with their first two picks before picking up a range of different types with their later picks, including the sentimental choice of Patrick Kerr.

My take: Really like their first two picks, which will add some great pace and class into what is a pretty vanilla midfield, and there’s a good mix of more speculative types after that. Macreadie could be a bargain.

Collingwood Magpies
30 – Sam McLarty
35 – Callum Brown
50 – Kayle Kirby
57 – Josh Daicos

The Pies picked up a key defender with their first selection which came as no surprise after losing a few this off-season, then collected their two father-son prospects as well as alliterative forward Kayle Kirby.

Advertisement

My take: Nothing too out of the ordinary here, didn’t have much to play with in terms of picks. I feel like they reach a little for McLarty but they needed a tall back.

Essendon Bombers
1 – Andrew McGrath
22 – Jordan Ridley
31 – Joshua Begley
42 – Kobe Mutch
63 – Dylan Clarke

The Bombers took speedy defender McGrath with the first selection and he should slot straight into the side as a replacement for Michael Hibberd. Ridley and Begley have real talent and Mutch and Clarke will add depth to the midfield.

My take: The Bombers often surprise me with their choices at the draft, and this was no different. They’ve got a good mix here, just not the ones I might have considered in their shoes. Funnily enough my favourite pick is their last one – Clarke could be a real bargain that late.

andrew-mcgrath-essendon-bombers-afl-draft-2016

Fremantle Dockers
8 – Griffin Logue
38 – Sean Darcy
41 – Brennan Cox
66 – Luke Ryan

After drafting a lot of midfielders in recent years, the Dockers added some talls this time with the headliner being Sideshow Bob lookalike Griffin Logue. Luke Ryan as a mature player from the VFL could have an instant impact.

Advertisement

My take: Logue will complement a great young defensive unit the Dockers are developing well, and Ryan is ready to step right into senior footy. Don’t be surprised if both play Round 1, 2017.

Geelong Cats
26 – Brandan Parfitt
40 – Thomas Stewart
43 – Estava Ratugolea
60 – Quinton Narkle
68 – Timm House
69 – Ryan Abbott

The Cats surprised a few, taking small Northern Territory midfielder Brand Parfitt earlier than was expected, and also picked up a few from their VFL side in Thomas Stewart and Timm House.

My take: Drafting guys named Estava Ratugolea and Quinton Narkle to a list that already has Wylie Buzza is just taking the piss, surely. A bit of a strange draft from the Cats but In Wells We Trust.

Gold Coast Suns
4 – Ben Ainsworth
7 – Jack Scrimshaw
9 – Will Brodie
10 – Jack Bowes
67 – Brad Scheer

After losing some big midfielders in Jaeger O’Meara and Dion Prestia, the Suns have come back strong. Brodie and Bowes could line up at their first centre bounce next year, Ainsworth and Scrimshaw will start up forward and down back respectively but move to the middle over time.

My take: Hard to go wrong with so many high picks. The real challenge will be retaining and developing them.

Advertisement

GWS Giants
2 – Tim Taranto
5 – Will Setterfield
14 – Harry Perryman
20 – Isaac Cumming
54 – Lachlan Tiziani
58 – Matthew de Boer

The Giants missed out on their target, Andrew McGrath, but picked up a gun in Tim Taranto as well as a host of academy prospect. Oh and Matthew de Boer, because why not.

My take: Did well to match the bids they did without going into deficit, but I was surprised they didn’t pick up any of their taller academy prospects. Zach Sproule still in the mix as a rookie I imagine.

Hawthorn Hawks
74 – Harry Morrison
76 – Mitchell Lewis

Picked up a medium defender in Harry Morrison, and Mitchell Lewis, who I’m presuming is in fact Sam Mitchell standing on Jordan Lewis’ shoulders while wearing a very long trench coat.

My take: Let’s be honest, they might never get an AFL game out of either of these picks, the success rate is low this late in the draft. But we’ll always have the Mitchell Lewis joke.

Melbourne Demons
46 – Mitchell Hannan
64 – Dion Johnstone

Advertisement

Two relative unknowns here for the Demons. Hannan is a mature forward from the Footscray VFL team, Johnstone a medium forward who captained the Scotch College football team.

My take: Hannan could slot into Melbourne’s forward line relatively quickly. Certainly a quiet draft compared to other recent years for the Dees.

North Melbourne Kangaroos
12 – Jy Simpkin
34 – Declan Watson
36 – Josh Williams
73 – Nick Larkey

North added some of the speed they need with Simpkin and Williams, and then some taller prospects with Watson and Larkey. Love a bid apparently – Watson and Williams are Queenslanders that Brisbane and Gold Coast didn’t match, and they also bid on Collingwood father-son Callum Brown.

My take: As a Roos fan, I’m happy enough. Simpkin in particular could be a real star, sliding due to his broken leg at the start of the year, but will be ready to at the start of 2017 and could play senior footy early.

Port Adelaide Power
16 – Todd Marshall
18 – Sam Powell-Pepper
32 – Joe Atley
33 – Willem Drew

Port added plenty of grunt to the midfield with their three later selections, and the player many considered to be the best tall forward in the draft with their first.

Advertisement

My take: Port spent a lot of currency to get these picks and I’m not sure they used them as wisely as they could have. They could really use some more classy kicks in the team and I wouldn’t say they got them here.

Richmond Tigers
29 – Shai Bolton
53 – Jack Graham
72 – Ryan Garthwaite

The Tigers added a bit of X-factor Shai Bolton at their first pick, some inside grunt in Jack Graham and a tall back in Garthwaite out of the GWS academy system.

My take: Some quality selections from the Tigers, they could all prove good value if developed well.

St Kilda Saints
25 – Ben Long
39 – Josh Battle
56 – Edward Phillips

The Saints were targeting speed and they got it, albeit with some surprising choices in Long and Phillips. Tall forward Josh Battle slid a lot further many predicted.

My take: Battle could prove a bargain but fitting him in alongside McCartin, Bruce and Membrey could be tricky. Long and Phillips feel like reaches when better talent was round.

Advertisement

Sydney Swans
11 – Oliver Florent
21 – Will Hayward
45 – Jack Maibaum
48 – Darcy Cameron

The Swans added some exciting talents in Florent and Hayward with their first two picks – they’ll add some class a spark up forward and in the midfield. Maibaum and Cameron are tall timber who could be handy.

My take: Florent was something of a surprise but a very good talent, and the Swans would be ecstatic that Hawyard slipped to their second. Maibaum and Cameron add depth at positions where they need it.

West Coast Eagles
13 – Daniel Venables
37 – Josh Rotham
52 – Willie Rioli
77 – Jake Waterman

The Eagles added a powerful midfielder in Venables at their first pick and then some more height and class in defense with Rotham next up. Rioli and Waterman are more speculative but could be good additions to the forward line.

My take: Venables was a little bit of a surprise but not unreasonable, Rotham and Rioli could prove real bargains.

Western Bulldogs
19 – Timothy English
28 – Patrick Lipinski
49 – Lewis Young
70 – Fergus Greene

Advertisement

The Bulldogs may have found their ruckman for the next ten plus years in 203cm English in the first round, and then added a few exciting types after that.

My take: Lipinski was earlier than expected and I don’t know what a Fergus Greene is, but who can argue with the Bulldogs recruiters these days? English seems like a perfect fit.

close