News_Archives
Draft Day: Connor Blakely Pick #34
Connor Blakely
Swan Districts
Height: 186cm
Weight: 81kg
Position: Midfielder
www.afl.com.au/news/2014-11-06/meet-connor-blakely
AT THE start of this year, Connor Blakely relocated from Bunbury to Perth and brought with him a desire to do everything possible to be drafted.
Blakely hasn't always been a big, bash-and-crash midfielder who barges through packs and wins the ball. He used to be a flanker, playing half-back and half-forward, but couldn't really find his niche.
He got it this year, and against senior company. Blakely played all season in the Swan Districts' senior WAFL team, and averaged 18 disposals in 14 games.
The experience has been good for him. He's played against AFL-listed opponents and outclassed them, and when they have got the better of him, he's learned from it.
That much was clear during the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships against players his own age, when Blakely was a standout. He averaged 21 disposals and seven clearances a game and was named an All-Australian.
WHY THEY SHOULD PICK HIM
With ball winning at a premium in the AFL, Blakely's ability to generate possessions out of clearances and get things going should appeal to a number of clubs.
More than half of Blakely's disposals this year were won in contested situations, a tick for his preparedness to put his head over the ball and get his hands dirty.
Blakely is also one of the better big-bodied midfielders available, and at his size (186cm, 81kg) is someone who can walk into a club and be expected to have an early impact.
His endurance is good and he runs all day, but the stoppages are where he has the biggest influence. He keeps his feet, thinks through situations with composure and then goes and does it again
THE QUERY
Blakely doesn't have the breakaway pace that other midfielders possess, and he runs a 3.19 second 20-metre sprint. His kicking is fine without being a huge strength, but he gets around that by knowing where to go and where to be to get the footy in his hands.
PLAYS LIKE
The 18-year-old a similar frame, running gait and attributes as star Fremantle midfielder David Mundy, a player who has shown the benefits of being a tough and tall on-baller. Of course, Blakely isn't at his level yet but he plays in a similar style.
DRAFT RANGE
Fits in some clubs' plans as a first-round pick. Likely to sit somewhere in the top 25 selections such has been his consistency and development during the season.
BOTTOM LINE
Blakely has done all that's been asked of him in 2014, and is ready for the next step. There are players who finish things and there are those who enjoy starting them, the ones who like putting teammates in space with a quick handball, the ones who don't need the flair to be effective. Blakely is that type of prospect.
Draft Day: Lachie Weller Pick #13
Lachie Weller
Southport/Broadbeach
Height: 181cm
Weight: 74kg
Position: Midfielder
www.afl.com.au/news/2014-10-29/meet-lachie-weller
LACHIE Weller is a member of Gold Coast's academy, spent two months training with the club's senior squad last summer, and knows many of the Suns' players.
But having moved to Queensland from Tasmania when he was 15, he hasn't spent enough time living in the state to qualify as a priority academy selection for the Suns - something rival clubs can be pleased about.
Weller, the younger brother of former Sun and current Saints midfielder Maverick, sits among the top handful of midfielders available in this year's draft pool.
He has gone through all the talent programs to this point: he captained the AIS-AFL Academy in level one and was a member of the team's leadership group this year, and played well last season for Queensland at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.
Weller's 2014 campaign was up and down, but he did average 20 disposals for Southport's senior side this season and understands what the next step will require.
If clubs weren't already convinced of his quality, Weller underlined it with a stellar performance for the Allies in the NAB AFL All Stars curtain-raiser on Grand Final morning.
He gathered 20 disposals and made good decisions with the ball, and showed his skill with two excellent goals, particularly a long, spearing bomb from outside 50.
WHY THEY SHOULD PICK HIM
The 18-year-old's traits are obvious: he uses the ball nicely, thinks quickly, marks well above his head and athletically is very good (he has tested 2.92 in the 20-metre sprint). Weller can be used off the wing but also in the middle, and is best at setting up the play with his efficient disposal.
Weller does everything professionally – his skinfolds were the third lowest recorded at the national combine – and he knows the environment at elite level after his time with the Suns.
THE QUERRY
At 181cm, Weller isn't a big and strong midfielder. That's reflected in his style, which at this stage is more as an outside midfielder than one who thrives on winning his own ball.
He can do it, and one in three of his possessions in the TAC Cup were contested, but the balance can be improved. He had an inconsistent season, but has jumped around a few different teams.
PLAYS LIKE
With his dash, delivery and dare, Weller shares some traits with David Zaharakis. Weller likes kicking goals and has spent much of his season working on using his pace more in games. He is at his best when he arches his back and looks for gaps to break through.
DRAFT RANGE
Weller has some admirers inside the top-10 and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him selected there. If not, he won't last much longer.
BOTTOM LINE
Weller brings some class and composure to the top end of the draft and he's a player you want to carry and run with the ball. The best thing about him is he doesn't need big numbers of possessions to hurt; most of his touches are
Stats Clouds: Fremantle v Port Adelaide
Numbers...you can't trust them. The Romans knew what numbers were up to and wouldn't have a bar of them. You can put your faith in a nice sturdy X but a 10, it's shifty. The only thing more iffy than a number is a statistic, they'll cut you open and rob you of your kidneys before you can say "aren't you supposed to drug me and put in a bath of ice first?". Unfortunately we're hooked on numbers though, we need them to work out how many kicks David Mundy had this week...and probably some other stuff too. The Dockerland Labs spent the summer pondering the problem and eventually, when the cricket was over, the fridge was empty and the clicker broke in everyone's pen, they came up with a solution - the stats cloud. A quick glance and you'll pretty much know everything about a game of football that there was to know, at least all the boring bits about it. The bigger the player's name, the more kicks, or marks, or tackles he had compared to his teammates.Â
Freo's Flag Chances Take a Turn For the Worse
Fremantle are expected to struggle to win the flag this season after being knocked out of the finals by Port Adelaide at Subiaco Oval tonight. Barring some sort of King Ralph style incident at the Preliminary Final photo shoot, the Dockers will finish their season without any silverware and be forced to settle for the 2015 through 2019 flags, in a revisement of the 5 year plan. Freo had Port Adelaide beaten in the first half but they buggered around with the footy in front of goals, kicking 11 points in the opening half to take a 4 goal lead. With no key defenders and Ibbotson busting his arm, the Fremantle back line were always going to be up against the fast finishing Port Adelaide and a 6 goal third quarter from the Power had them back in the game for the last change. Fremantle’s goal kicking skills again abandoned them in the last quarter with another impressive tally of points, while Port dropped in another half a dozen goals to sneak home by 22 points.
