2014 PAFC & AFC Trade/Draft News

eartotheground wrote:Expect Adelaide to spring a surprise in their selections.

Jake Lever had been talked about in draft discussion, but not at length with Adelaide, who passed on Durdin. Harry Dear certainly the left field one for them.

I don't know much about the kids picked, but Lever seems to be a cracking lad.

Adelaide have history snapping up bargains that have slipped in the draft due to injury - Dangerfield the obvious one.

Certainly an element of risk involved in that strategy though.

It's an interesting pick.

They obviously rate him very highly, as Sam Durdin was still available and he's a gun.

Lever is a risk after his knee reco, but without that was probably a top 2 or 3 player, so they think he has more upside.

Harry Dear is also an interesting pick, as Hawthorn didn't rate him highly enough to be a Father/Son pick.

Yea I'm not so sure on the rest of Adelaide's picks.

Wigg looks quite small, but has a lethal left boot by all reports and our half back line is far from settled. Could easily compete with Jaensch for a running half back position.

Dear also comes to Adelaide via the 'injury' back door by the looks of it. He is a huge unit looking at pics of him, but has had a shoulder reconstruction recently which may be what scared Hawthorn away.

I too thought Adelaide would take Durdin, there seemed to be a liking for taking local lads recently to avoid the Tippett/Gunston "go home" factor.

They, along with others, obviously rate Lever highly.

I, like others on here I assume, listened to 5AA's coverage and they basically got the top 12-15 exactly right. We noted on the previous page here Ginge if clubs knew what was going on before their pick, who would be left and I doubted they would. Rowe and ( more so ) Bickley knew exactly who was going where so I can only assume clubs / recruiters / talent scouts do discuss the draft order.

Yes I just happened to be in the car when they called out the top 30 or so picks and listened in to 5AA's coverage, Bickley definitely did seem to know who was going where.

It seems pretty clear now that Adelaide knew full well what they were doing with their draft pick trade.

How you feeling about Port's picks Booney?

Pick 56 - Dougal Howard
Recruited from: Murray Bushrangers
Height: 195cm
Weight: 88kg
Position: Key forward
Bio: Tall developing forward who provides an excellent target inside 50. Overhead marking is a strength and once he takes front position it is difficult for defenders to spoil. Possesses an excellent vertical leap while also showing elite leg speed for a player of his size. Played senior footy with the Wagga Tigers in 2013. GWS Giants Academy player. Averaged seven touches, four marks and one goal in three games during the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships for NSW/ACT. Came equal-first in the clean hands test (26/30) and equal-third in the goalkicking test (24/30) at the NAB AFL Draft Combine.

Port Adelaide's national recruiting manager Geoff Parker says...

"Dougal played forward and back during the year, but we see him as a key forward who can go in the ruck and provide relief in the ruck," Port Adelaide's national recruiting manager Geoff Parker told portadelaidefc.com.au immediately after the draft. He played for NSW/ACT in the national championships and had a very solid season."

Pick 69 - Logan Austin

Recruited from: Belconnen (NEAFL)
Height: 196cm
Weight: 86kg
Position: Key defender
Bio: Developing player who recently switched to centre half-back after starting as a centre half-forward and pinch-hitting ruckman. Excellent closing speed and backs himself to mark and win the ball back for his team. Good kick and generally selects right option when rebounding from defence. Averaged eight possessions and five marks at 81 per cent efficiency in two hit-outs in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.

Parker says...

"Logan is from Canberra and played two games for the GWS Giants in the NEAFL competition through their Academy program and also represented NSW/ACT in the national championships. We like the way he works as a key defender with good intercept marks and he's also got a good kick out of the back half."

Pick 78 - Jesse Palmer

Recruited from: North Ballarat Rebels
Height: 188cm
Weight: 81kg
Position: Forward
Bio: Inaccuracy in front of goal cost Palmer the TAC Cup goal kicking award in 2014, finishing 14 goals behind the winner with 35.32. He's a strong forward who spent the majority of 2014 deep in attack due to his marking ability. He rarely gets beaten one-on-one in a marking contest but will need to improve his endurance if he's offered a shot at AFL level.

Parker says...

"Jesse is a hybrid-forward who attacks the ball hard in the air and we like his forward smarts. He's able to find space and provide a dangerous presence in attack and kick goals from that work."

Pick 84 - Billy Frampton

Recruited from: South Fremantle
Height: 199cm
Weight: 85kg
Position: Ruck
Bio: Ruckman with good athletic ability, including natural leap and speed. At his best in both games against Vic Metro in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. Averaged 10 possessions, three marks and two clearances at 71 per cent during the carnival.

Parker says...

"Billy was Western Australia's number one ruckman throughout the national championships and was very strong all the way through the year. He battled some injury problems early in 2013, but overcame those this year to perform pretty strongly."

Gingernuts wrote:Yes I just happened to be in the car when they called out the top 30 or so picks and listened in to 5AA's coverage, Bickley definitely did seem to know who was going where.

It seems pretty clear now that Adelaide knew full well what they were doing with their draft pick trade.

How you feeling about Port's picks Booney?

They've gone long term on some big lads Ginge.

Key defender ( 196cm/86 ), key forward ( 19/88 ), ruckman ( 199/85 ) and a (188/81 ) small/mid forward.

With picks 56/69/78/84 I'd imagine you won't expect much from them in the first year or two, but we've clearly taken a long term view to replace Carlile/Trengove down back, Schulz up front and a young ruckman to develop behind Lobbe, Ryder and Redden.

With our plethora of midfielders in the squad and the fact you can pretty much find mids anywhere, be it draft, trade or free agents I'm happy they've taken the long term view. It was the only option with the fact our current squad and best 22 are all so young, we've got a bit of time with this group we currently have to develop from below.

Yes, there wasn't really much needed in the short term for Port Adelaide really.

The more I read of Lever the more I think that providing he has a solid preseason and does the right things, he could be a very real chance of slotting straight into the 2nd defender spot at Adelaide in his first season.

His only competition comes from Shaw & Hartigan.

Pretty happy with Adelaide's work in the Rookie Draft today, looks like they have filled out their list nicely.

Keenan Ramsey has a real interesting story, only one eye!

You'd have to think that would give him a fair blind spot on one side, but a lot of observers didn't even know about it until recently.

Would love to see him do well and make the grade.

Darryl Poole, MkII ?

former champion jockey Malcolm Johnston only has one eye, if it was known then he wouldn't have been granted a jockeys licence, this is perhaps why he got suspended  40-50 times......top South Aussie reinswoman Danni Hill after that horrific fall she suffered from some 2 or 3 years ago only has one eye.....their is also a decent Eastern states pacer called ''two eye see'' only has one eye...............good luck to the young fella