General Footy Writing: 2008 draft to be considered among the best

I think in a few years time, we’ll be talking about the 2008 national draft as a draft to match the super-draft of 2001 which saw Chris Judd, Luke Ball and Luke Hodge start their careers. The 2008 top-10 saw the likes of Daniel Rich, Jack Watts, Jack Ziebell, Nick Naitanui and Stephen Hill taken and those players have already earned a tag of the young stars of the future. But how has each player from the 2008 draft who has made his debut performed?

2008 NATIONAL AFL DRAFT:

Round 1:

Pick one:
Jack Watts:

Age: 18
DOB: 23/3/1991
Drafted by: Melbourne
Height: 195cm
Weight: 83kg
Position: Forward

Recruited from the Sandringham Dragons, Watts made his highly anticipated debut against Collingwood in Round 11. Running onto the ground for the first time, he was tackled by three Collingwood players and received a free kick. He kicked a behind on debut. The following week he kicked two goals against Essendon. Watts will be a long-term work in progress.

Games: 3
Avg. Disposals: 9
Avg. Marks: 3
Avg. Goals: 0.7
Avg. Supercoach Score: 26.3

Pick two:
Nicholas Naitanui:

Age: 19
DOB: 4/5/1990
Drafted by: West Coast
Height: 201cm
Weight: 96kg
Position: Ruck

Recruited from Swan Districts, Naitanui made his debut against Richmond in Round 12. He has the biggest excitement factor in the AFL, with every disposal bringing the crowd to its feet. His first match against the Tigers saw him dish off to a running Matthew Priddis, resulting in a goal. The next week against Hawthorn, he again wowed the crowd with an amazing final quarter. With no kicks next to his name going into the last quarter, Naitanui gathered the ball on the behind line, evaded, dummied and snapped a brilliant goal for his first in AFL. This was followed by a kick out of mid-air in the goalsquare for his second. Then he stole the ball off Tom Murphy, ran into an open 50, attempted to take a bounce but he obviously hasn’t had much practice at that, with the ball running away from him. He gathered it again though and kicked a wonderful third goal to seal the game for the Eagles, giving them a 20-point win. Naitanui was the star of the match, despite having just three kicks.

Games: 2
Avg. Disposals: 9.5
Avg. Marks: 1.5
Avg. Goals: 1.5
Avg. SC Points: 56.5

Pick Three:
Stephen Hill:

Age: 19
DOB: 1/5/1990
Drafted by: Fremantle
Height: 182cm
Weight: 72kg
Position: Defence/Midfield

Recruited from West Perth, Hill has given the Fremantle midfield and defence some extra dash that it needed. He made his debut in Round 1 against the Western Bulldogs and has not missed a game. His best game so far would be against West Coast in the western derby. He picked up 21 disposals, took six marks, laid five tackles and kicked two goals as the Dockers won their second consecutive match. This performance saw him nominated as the Round 6 NAB Rising Star. Can be accused of going missing in matches sometimes though.

Games: 13
Avg. Disposals: 14.3
Avg. Marks: 2.8
Avg. Goals: 0.5
Avg. SC Points: 63.2

Pick Four:
Hamish Hartlett:

Age: 18
DOB: 14/8/1990
Drafted by: Port Adelaide
Height: 182cm
Weight: 77kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from West Adelaide, the younger brother of Carlton’s Adam Hartlett made his debut against Hawthorn in Round 4. He played a brilliant first match, picking up 23 disposals and taking 11 marks in the Power’s shock win. He has succumbed to injury, though, and played just a further five games since then. Gives the Power midfield extra dash and more skill and precision.

Games: 6
Avg. Disposals: 16.2
Avg. Marks: 5.3
Avg. Goals: 0.3
Avg. SC Points: 62.3

Pick Five:
Michael Hurley:

Age: 19
DOB: 1/6/1990
Drafted by: Essendon
Height: 193cm
Weight: 91kg
Position: Defence

Recruited from the Northern Knights, Hurley made his debut against Port Adelaide in Round 1. He showed promising signs, picking up 14 possessions. Was drafted as the replacement of Dustin Fletcher. He has succumbed to injury since then.

Games: 1
Avg. Disposals: 14
Avg. Marks: 5
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 91

Pick Six:
Chris Yarran:

Age: 18
DOB: 19/12/1990
Drafted by: Carlton
Height: 180cm
Weight: 84kg
Position: Forward

Recruited from Swan Districts, Yarran was drafted to add some zip to the Carlton forward line. Carlton aimed to have Eddie Betts and Yarran combining to form a dangerous duo in the forward half for the Blues, similar to Matt Campbell and Lindsay Thomas of North Melbourne. Betts has done it all on his own though, kicking 30 goals while Yarran has played just three games. He picked up 14 disposals against Adelaide in Round 9.

Games: 3
Avg. Disposals: 10
Avg. Marks: 3
Avg. Goals: 0.7
Avg. SC Points: 47.3

Pick Seven:
Daniel Rich:

Age: 19
DOB: 7/6/1990
Drafted by: Brisbane Lions
Height: 183cm
Weight: 83kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from Subiaco, Rich has been impressive in his debut season, playing all 13 matches and earning a NAB Rising Star award for his debut game which netted 21 disposals against West Coast. Rich is widely picked to be the winner of the NAB Rising Star award, he had an amazing game against North Melbourne, picking up 25 possessions, taking 7 marks, laid 5 tackles and kicked a goal. Rich is built like a champion midfielder, with a strong, solid body for a teenager. He is already known as a dangerous midfielder for the Lions, and is being tagged. His penetrating left foot kick is a highlight of his game-style. He is ranked 1st for total Inside 50’s for Rising Stars, 1st for Tackles, 1st in Goal Assists, 1st in Kicks and 4th in total Disposals.

Games: 13
Avg. Disposals: 16.5
Avg. Marks: 2.8
Avg. Goals: 0.6
Avg. SC Points: 85.7

Pick Eight:
Tyrone Vickery:

Age: 19
DOB: 31/5/1990
Drafted by: Richmond
Height: 200cm
Weight: 89kg
Position: Ruck, Forward

Recruited from the Sandringham Dragons, Vickery made his debut against West Coast in Round 12 alongside fellow dreadlocked young gun for the Eagles, Nick Naitanui. Vickery was recruited to play in the Ruck and can go forward and kick a few goals if needed. He had 8 disposals on debut and kicked a wobbly goal but the next week against the Saints, Vickery had just a few touches of the ball and had no impact on the scoreboard, but made impressive signs in the Ruck, having 8 hit-outs.

Games: 2
Avg. Disposals: 5.5
Avg. Marks: 2
Avg. Goals: 0.5
Avg. SC Points: 42.5

Pick Nine:
Jack Ziebell:

Age: 18
DOB: 2/2/1991
Drafted by: North Melbourne
Height: 188cm
Weight: 84kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from the Murray Bushrangers, Ziebell has been a handy inclusion to the North Melbourne midfield this year. Strongly built, Ziebell made his debut against Melbourne in Round 1 and held his spot until Round 8 where he was given the weekend off with general soreness. He also missed Round 11 due to a virus. Ziebell was a strong favourite to take out the NAB Rising Star award before breaking his leg against Adelaide in Round 12. He aims to be back before the end of the year. His best game was against Port Adelaide in Round 7 where he collected 23 touches, took 5 marks, laid 4 tackles and kicked a goal in the high-scoring 5 point win. Ziebell is built like a man and has a high level of maturity about him.

Games: 10
Avg. Disposals: 15.5
Avg. Marks: 4.2
Avg. Goals: 0.2
Avg. SC Points: 60.4

Pick Eleven:
Steele Sidebottom:

Age: 18
DOB: 2/1/1991
Drafted by: Collingwood
Height: 182cm
Weight: 79kg
Position: Midfield/Forward

Recruited from the Murray Bushrangers, Sidebottom has a high level of ability and can wow the crowd. Has a high expectation of a goalkicking midfielder that he has failed to live up to so far but he has been consistent. He made his debut against St Kilda on Monday Night Footy, picking up 22 disposals in the Magpies’ huge loss. He kicked 10 goals in a Best on Ground performance in the TAC Cup.

Games: 6
Avg. Disposals: 15.8
Avg. Marks: 3.3
Avg. Goals: 0.5
Avg. SC Points: 65.5

Pick Sixteen:
Ryan Schoenmakers:

Age: 18
DOB: 8/11/1990
Drafted by: Hawthorn
Height: 194cm
Weight: 85kg
Position: Defence, Midfield

Recruited from Norwood, Schoenmakers broke into the Premiership side in Round 1 for his debut against Geelong. He kept his spot the next week against the Swans, earning seven kicks in the Hawks’ loss to Sydney. As the Hawthorn defence has fallen due to injury, Schoenmakers has filled the hole, playing 6 games. He had 12 disposals against West Coast in Round 13, a career-best, also laying 8 tackles.

Games: 6
Avg. Disposals: 8.8
Avg. Marks: 2.2
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 37.2

Round 2:

Pick Twenty:
Tom Swift:

Age: 18
DOB: 6/7/1990
Drafted by: West Coast
Height: 191cm
Weight: 84kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from Claremont, Swift was recruited and the Eagles’ supporters had hopes of him becoming the new Chris Judd of the West Coast midfield. He has shown good signs, picking up a career-high 14 disposals against Carlton in Round 10, his debut game. He has held his spot in the team since then, having 9 handballs against Hawthorn in Round 13 and putting in a good performance against Geelong.

Games: 4
Avg. Disposals: 11.8
Avg. Marks: 2.2
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 31.2

Pick Twenty-One:
Hayden Ballantyne:

Age: 21
DOB: 16/7/1987
Drafted by: Fremantle
Height: 174cm
Weight: 75kg
Position: Forward

Recruited from Peel Thunder, Ballantyne made his debut for Fremantle against Collingwood in Round 13. Despite the Dockers’ losing by 15 goals, Ballantyne pleased Freo supporters, picking up 8 disposals, taking 3 marks and leading and presenting all day. He is a mature-age draftee and was said to be the most dangerous small forward taken in the 2008 Draft. One of my personal favourites.

Games: 1
Avg. Disposals: 8
Avg. Marks: 3
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 9

Pick Twenty-Three:
David Zaharakis:

Age: 19
DOB: 21/2/1990
Drafted by: Essendon
Height: 182cm
Weight: 76kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from the Northern Knights, Zaharakis has proved to be one of the best young players going around in the AFL. He burst onto the scene with 21 disposals, 10 marks and 4 tackles in his debut match against Fremantle in Round 2, earning him a NAB Rising Star nomination. He was then the match-winner in the Round 5 match against Collingwood, the ANZAC Day clash. With the Bombers trailing, Zaharakis received the ball and kicked for goal after being tackled in the pouring rain. The ball sailed through for a goal as the siren sounded, and Zaharakis had realized the dream of every young Auskicker.

Games: 10
Avg. Disposals: 13.7
Avg. Marks: 4.7
Avg. Goals: 0.7
Avg. SC Points: 57.2

Pick Twenty-Four:
Nic Suban:

Age: 19
DOB: 9/5/1990
Drafted by: Fremantle
Height: 179cm
Weight: 82kg
Position: Defender

Recruited from the North Ballarat Rebels, Suban received the no. 8 Guernsey from former Freo legend Shaun McManus, and Suban has not let the blond star down, with the highlight of Suban’s game his tackling, averaging 2.8 a match and 6th overall Rising Stars in the AFL, and his kicking, ranked 6th among Rising Stars for kicks. He made his debut in Round 1 against the Western Bulldogs and has not missed a match, his game against St Kilda in Round 4 his best match where he picked up 15 possessions.

Games: 13
Avg. Disposals: 10.5
Avg. Marks: 2.1
Avg. Goals: 0.2
Avg. SC Points: 48.8

Pick Twenty-Seven:
Sam Wright:

Age: 18
DOB: 15/7/1990
Drafted by: North Melbourne
Height: 188cm
Weight: 76kg
Position: Forward

Recruited from the Murray Bushrangers, Wright was given a tough introduction into AFL, with his debut game against Geelong at Kardinia Park in Round 8. He played well though, and kicked a goal in the third quarter. Wright has been handy for the Roos in the forward line and also in the midfield, gathering 14 disposals in Round 9 against Fremantle and also kicking a goal. The look-a-like of Dale Thomas, Wright needs desperate work in the gym with Paul Turk.
INTERESTING FACT: I played U/14’s footy with Wright in 2004.

Games: 4
Avg. Disposals: 10
Avg. Marks: 3.5
Avg. Goals: 0.5
Avg. SC Points: 54

Pick Twenty-Nine:
Dayne Beams:

Age: 19
DOB: 12/2/1990
Drafted by: Collingwood
Height: 184cm
Weight: 81kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from the Southport Sharks, Beams has been a cult figure at Collingwood, with his whole arm covered in tattoos and damaging style of play. Beams made a good impression in the NAB Cup, kicking a goal in each of his 3 matches played and made his debut against Melbourne in Round 2, getting 11 kicks. It took until Round 13 against Fremantle for Beams play a break-out game, picking up 22 disposals and kicking 2 goals in the Magpie demolition.

Games: 7
Avg. Disposals: 15.7
Avg. Marks: 4.3
Avg. Goals: 0.7
Avg. SC Points: 65.1

Pick Thirty-Four:
Liam Shiels:

Age: 18
DOB: 29/4/1991
Drafted by: Hawthorn
Height: 183cm
Weight: 79kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from the Eastern Ranges, Shiels was the youngest player taken in the 2008 Draft. That didn’t stop the youngster from making his debut in Round 10 against Adelaide. He picked up 16 possessions in an impressive display. He held his spot for Round 11 against Sydney but had just the 7 touches and hasn’t made an appearance for the Hawks since.

Games: 2
Avg. Disposals: 11.5
Avg. Marks: 3.5
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 54

Round 3:

Pick Thirty-Five:
Jamie Bennell:

Age: 19
DOB: 7/6/1990
Drafted by: Melbourne
Height: 179cm
Weight: 68kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from the Swan Districts, Bennell has been a handy inclusion to the young Melbourne list, playing 11 games and averaging 12.6 disposals. His best game was against West Coast in Round 7 where he picked up 19 disposals and laid 4 tackles.

Games: 11
Avg. Disposals: 12.6
Avg. Marks: 3.6
Avg. Goals: 0.2
Avg. SC Points: 46.6

Pick Thirty-Seven:
Zachary Clarke:

Age: 19
DOB: 28/3/1990
Drafted by: Fremantle
Height: 203cm
Weight: 83kg
Position: Ruck

Recruited from the Oakleigh Charges, Clarke made his debut in Round 13 against Collingwood at the MCG. He had a modest debut, picking up 3 disposals, he laid 3 tackles and had 5 hit-outs backing Aaron Sandilands. He will be a long-term prospect for the Dockers.

Games: 1
Avg. Disposals: 3
Avg. Marks: 1
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 32

Pick Forty:
Mitch Robinson:

Age: 20
DOB: 7/6/1989
Drafted by: Carlton
Height: 185cm
Weight: 79kg
Position: Midfield/Forward

Recruited from the Tassie Devils, Robinson made his debut in Round 1 against the Tigers with high expectations. He did not disappoint, kicking 3 goals in Carlton’s demolition job on Richmond. He played a great game against Collingwood in Round 8, picking up 19 disposals, taking 9 marks and kicking a goal in Carlton’s win. He has struggled to keep his spot though.

Games: 7
Avg. Disposals: 13.6
Avg. Marks: 4.1
Avg. Goals: 0.6
Avg. SC Points: 55.1

Pick Forty-Three:
Liam Anthony:

Age: 21
DOB: 9/8/1987
Drafted by: North Melbourne
Height: 189cm
Weight: 87kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from East Fremantle, Anthony was set to make his debut in Round 1 against Melbourne but succumbed to foot stress fractures days before the first bounce. That set back didn’t stop him from finally playing his first match in Round 13 against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG, and he did not disappoint, picking up 28 disposals and taking 5 marks to be one of North’s best players in their 22 point loss. Anthony looks set for a long career with the Kangaroos.

Games: 1
Avg. Disposals: 28
Avg. Marks: 5
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 78

Round 4:

Pick Fifty-One:
Neville Jetta:

Age: 19
DOB: 12/2/1990
Drafted by: Melbourne
Height: 180cm
Weight: 77kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from the Swan Districts, Jetta made his debut alongside childhood teammate and friend Jamie Bennell against North Melbourne in Round 1. He had 16 disposals, a total he has not been able to top since. He has been a handy goalkicker too, kicking 4.6 in his 7 matches. He is a distant cousin of Essendon’s Leroy Jetta.

Games: 7
Avg. Disposals: 10.7
Avg. Marks: 2.7
Avg. Goals: 0.6
Avg. SC Points: 44.1

Pick Fifty-Three:
Michael Walters:

Age: 18
DOB: 7/1/1991
Drafted by: Fremantle
Height: 177cm
Weight: 75kg
Position: Midfield/Forward

Recruited from the Swan Districts, Walters made his debut in Round 11 against Port Adelaide. He impressed, picking up 14 disposals and kicking a goal. He kept his spot for the next match against Geelong, where he also kicked a goal. Walters seems to be an exciting player and will be part of the Fremantle midfield in 5 years time.

Games: 2
Avg. Disposals: 9.5
Avg. Marks: 4.5
Avg. Goals: 1
Avg. SC Points: 49

Pick Fifty-Seven:
Aaron Cornelius:

Age: 19
DOB: 25/5/1990
Drafted by: Brisbane
Height: 192cm
Weight: 86kg
Position: Defence/Forward

Recruited from the Tassie Devils, Cornelius made his debut in Round 9 against the all-conquering Saints. He played in the backline for the first half but swapped with Daniel Bradshaw to go into the forward line where he kicked 2 goals and was a reason why the Lions almost pulled off an amazing win. He has played just the one match.

Games: 1
Avg. Disposals: 9
Avg. Marks: 4
Avg. Goals: 2
Avg. SC Points: 61

Round 6:

Pick Seventy-Eight:
Jason Davenport:

Age: 23
DOB: 4/9/1985
Drafted by: Port Adelaide
Height: 185cm
Weight: 81kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from Geelong, Davenport spent a couple of years on the Geelong list before he was delisted. Port Adelaide picked him up and Davenport finally made his debut against Richmond in Round 8. He saved his break-out game for his old side, where he picked up 21 disposals, took 7 marks and kicked 2 goals at Kardinia Park.

Games: 3
Avg. Disposals: 14.7
Avg. Marks: 4
Avg. Goals: 1
Avg. SC Points: 73.3

2009 PRE-SEASON DRAFT:

Round 1:

Pick One:
Liam Jurrah:

Age: 20
DOB: 23/9/1988
Drafted by: Melbourne
Height: 188cm
Weight: 78kg
Position: Forward

Recruited from the Yuendumu Magpies, Jurrah made his highly anticipated debut against Essendon in Round 12, where he impressed with 1.2, which included a big attempted mark in the goalsquare followed by a kick out of mid air while on his back for his first AFL goal. He kept his spot for the next week against Brisbane where he kicked a goal.

Games: 2
Avg. Disposals: 9.5
Avg. Marks: 5.5
Avg. Goals: 1
Avg. SC Points: 47.5

2009 ROOKIE DRAFT:

Round 1:

Pick Four:
Wade Thompson:

Age: 20
DOB: 28/8/1988
Drafted by: Port Adelaide
Height: 176cm
Weight: 76kg
Position: Forward

Recruited from North Adelaide, Thompson made his debut in Round 3 against Melbourne after some promising signs in the NAB Cup. He picked up 9 possessions and kept his spot for the next week against Hawthorn. He amassed 13 touches and took 3 marks as the Power stormed towards a 30 point victory. Thompson has been kept out of the side since then but the signs are good.

Games: 2
Avg. Disposals: 11
Avg. Marks: 3
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 35

Pick Six:
Jeff Garlett:

Age: 19
DOB: 3/8/1989
Drafted by: Carlton
Height: 187cm
Weight: 67kg
Position: Forward

Recruited from the Swan Districts, Garlett has impressed as a small forward for the Blues, with the nippy Aboriginal averaging a goal a game. He collected a high of 13 disposals in Round 11 against Brisbane and kicked 2 goals against West Coast in Round 10.

Games: 6
Avg. Disposals: 9.5
Avg. Marks: 3.7
Avg. Goals: 1
Avg. SC Points: 43.7

Pick Eight:
Robin Nahas:

Age: 21
DOB: 10/11/1987
Drafted by: Richmond
Height: 176cm
Weight: 67kg
Position: Forward

Recruited from the Oakleigh Charges, Nahas has been an impressive forward for the Tigers in a dark 2009, averaging a goal a game in his 10 games so far. His electric pace and tackling pressure has been a highlight, as has his goalkicking, with a best of 5 goals against Port Adelaide in Round 8. He amassed 19 disposals against Fremantle in Round 10. Nahas looks to be capable of taking over the crumbing forward role of Nathan Brown.

Games: 10
Avg. Disposals: 13
Avg. Marks: 4.1
Avg. Goals: 1
Avg. SC Points: 67.6

Pick Twelve:
Kristin Thornton:

Age: 21
DOB: 5/3/1988
Drafted by: Sydney
Height: 184cm
Weight: 80kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from Sydney, Thornton returned to the Swans after being delisted after a couple of unsuccessful years at the club. He finally broke through for his first game and has been impressive enough to hold his spot in the side except for a couple of weeks where he missed. He achieved an equal career-high 9 disposals against Collingwood in Round 12.

Games: 6
Avg. Disposals: 7.3
Avg. Marks: 3.5
Avg. Goals: 0.5
Avg. SC Points: 36.2

Round 2:

Pick Eighteen:
Adam Cockie:

Age: 20
DOB: 18/4/1989
Drafted by: West Coast
Height: 180cm
Weight: 82kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from Subiaco, Cockie has impressed as a young midfielder. He showed impressive signs against Sydney in Round 8 where he picked up 13 touches. His tackling has been a highlight of his game, where he has averaged 3.8 tackles a match.

Games: 4
Avg. Disposals: 12
Avg. Marks: 2
Avg. Goals: 0.5
Avg. SC Points: 48

Pick Nineteen:
Matthew De Boer:

Age: 19
DOB: 10/3/1990
Drafted by: Fremantle
Height: 187cm
Weight: 85kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from Claremont, De Boer has been impressive for the Dockers after he debuted in Round 6 against West Coast, replacing the injured Rhys Palmer. He has not missed a match since, and picked up 21 possessions and kicked a goal in the best game of his career against Geelong in Round 12.

Games: 8
Avg. Disposals: 11.6
Avg. Marks: 2.4
Avg. Goals: 0.4
Avg. SC Points: 52.1

Pick Thirty:
Liam Picken:

Age: 22
DOB: 1/8/1986
Drafted by: Western Bulldogs
Height: 183cm
Weight: 82kg
Position: Midfield

Recruited from Williamstown, Picken has been the highlight of the entire 2009 Rookie Draft. He made his debut in Round 2 against North Melbourne and played a tagging role against North star Brent Harvey and he won the match-up against the veteran. He has held his spot in the side since, with other scalps including Brett Deledio twice, Andrew McLeod and Leigh Montagna. He has also been a handy goalkicker, with a best of two goals against Richmond in Round 11. He had a best of 20 disposals against West Coast in Round 4 and also laid 9 tackles against Carlton the week after.

Games: 12
Avg. Disposals: 13.4
Avg. Marks: 2.3
Avg. Goals: 0.4
Avg. SC Points: 62.3

Round 4:

Pick Forty-Eight:
Clancee Pearce:

Age: 18
DOB: 23/10/1990
Drafted by: Fremantle
Height: 182cm
Weight: 90kg
Position: Defence

Recruited from the Swan Districts, Pearce made his debut against Port Adelaide in Round 11 where he picked up 16 disposals and kicked a goal in an impressive display. He kept his spot for the game against Geelong in Round 12 where he had 10 possessions and laid 3 tackles.

Games: 2
Avg. Disposals: 13
Avg. Marks: 4
Avg. Goals: 0.5
Avg. SC Points: 57

Pick Fifty-Seven:
Mike Pyke:

Age: 25
DOB: 24/3/1984
Drafted by: Sydney
Height: 200cm
Weight: 104kg
Position: Ruck

Recruited from Canada, Pyke sent in a DVD of his Rugby credentials to AFL Player Agent Michael Quinlan. Pyke then found his way to the Sydney Swans and made his controversial debut against Richmond in Round 6. He had 4 possessions and 11 hit-outs in a low-key performance but good enough for a second match. This match was against Geelong, and he performed admirably, collecting 7 disposals, laying 3 tackles and having 18 hit-outs. Pyke is in competition with Jesse White for the back-up Ruckman job at the Swans.

Games: 2
Avg. Disposals: 5.5
Avg. Marks: 1
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 39.5

Round 5:

Pick Sixty-Four:
Michael Quinn:

Age: 19
DOB: 26/1/1990
Drafted by: Essendon
Height: 185cm
Weight: 84kg
Position: Defence

Recruited from Longford GAA (Ireland), Quinn made his AFL debut against Fremantle in Round 2. There was speculation that he wouldn’t be able to accustom to the oval shaped ball but he put in an A-Grade performance, picking up 20 disposals. He felt responsible for the injury of Andrew Welsh in the pre-season, as it was Quinn that tackled Welsh which resulted in a broken leg and dislocated ankle to Welsh. Quinn and Welsh have become good friends after the incident.

Games: 2
Avg. Disposals: 14
Avg. Marks: 3.5
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 42.5

Round 6:

Pick Seventy-Four:
Greg Broughton:

Age: 22
DOB: 29/9/1986
Drafted by: Fremantle
Height: 185cm
Weight: 86kg
Position: Defence

Recruited from Subiaco, Broughton has been a handy inclusion to the Fremantle defence since his debut in Round 3 against Adelaide. He has averaged 21.5 disposals including a best of 29 against Geelong in Round 12. There seems to be no bad blood between Broughton and fellow defender Steven Dodd after a nightclub incident back in 2006 before Broughton was drafted. The incident left Broughton with a fractured eye socket.

Games: 6
Avg. Disposals: 21.5
Avg. Marks: 5.8
Avg. Goals: 0
Avg. SC Points: 88.7

Pick Seventy-Six:
Sam Jacobs:

Age: 21
DOB: 10/4/1988
Drafted by: Carlton
Height: 200cm
Weight: 100kg
Position: Ruck

Recruited from Carlton, Jacobs continued his career at the Blues after being delisted. He made his debut in the opening round against Richmond and impressed with 20 hit-outs and 3 tackles. The following week he had a career-best 11 disposals and 7 marks against Brisbane. The following week the big man kicked his first goal in AFL. No doubt there is rivalry between Jacobs and Robbie Warnock as they battle for the Ruck position at the Blues, Jacobs has averaged 14.5 hit-outs a game.

Games: 4
Avg. Disposals: 8.2
Avg. Marks: 3
Avg. Goals: 0.2
Avg. SC Points: 45.2

So that is all the players from the 2009 Draft that have made their debuts. Their have been so many promising young players, with Tom Lynch, Phil Davis, Mitch Brown, Ayce Cordy and Lewis Johnston still to play their first games out of the top 16 taken in the Draft. Let’s hope they bring as much excitement as Naitanui, Jurrah and Hill just to name a few.

Comments

  1. danielle says

    Impressive work Josh.
    So far I would say that Daniel Rich has been the most influential pick.
    Footy just seems to come naturally to him and I can see him with a Brownlow around his neck as he improves in the years to come.
    Sidebottom has been alright for Collingwood but is lost amongst the bigger names and is yet to make his mark. Steel made his debut on my Birthday and I’m thinking it was a day we would both love to forget!
    Beams has impressed me a lot and I hope that he doesn’t leave after his contract ends.
    From what I have seen from Liam Anthony, he brings a spark to the North team. There’s something about him that makes me jealous that he’s not playing for my team!
    Good work.

  2. Josh Barnstable says

    You can have Liam Anthony, but we’ll take Medhurst, Shaw, Didak and Swan. Haha

  3. danielle says

    Haha very funny Josh!
    theres no way you get those players!
    but i will make a deal ill take Anthony and you can have Toovey!!
    thats fair!

  4. Josh Barnstable says

    Hmm…no deal but Toovey isn’t that bad. Didn’t he kick 3 goals on debut against the Tigers?

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