For ease of access, here are the profiles in alphabetical order:

• Addam Maric
• Austin Wonaeamirri
• Ashley Arrowsmith
• Ashley Hockey
• Ben Gibson
• Ben McEvoy
• Brendan Whitecross
• Brett Meredith
• Cale Morton
• Callan Ward
• Cristian Sanfilippo
• Cyril Rioli
• Daniel Brittain
• Darcy Danniher
• Darin Stewart
• David Hill
• David Zaharkis
• Dawson Simpson
• Dayne Zorco
• Dean Putt
• Haelen Kay
• Jack Grimes
• Jackson Hall
• Jake Spencer
• Jake Spiteri
• James Mulligan
• Joel Smouha
• John Williams
• Joseph Daye
• Luke Sampey
• Luke Stanton
• Marlon Motlop
• Matthew Kruezer
• Matthew Quinton
• Nic Cattapan
• Pat Dangerfield
• Patrick Veszpremi
• Peter Rolfe
• Rhys Magin
• Ryan Normington
• Sam Reid
• Tayte Pears
• Tim Bongetti
• Tom Collier
• Tom Rockliff
• Will Sullivan

And for other references, see:

• Official Bigfooty Phantom National Draft 2007
• Weaver’s Midyear prospects thread
• Bigfooty Drafts & Trading board

Ben McEvoy - Murray Bushrangers
199cm, 90kg (sizes taken from TAC Cup Record)

Junior position: KP forward/ruckman
Projected AFL position: Ruckman pinch hitting as KP forward

Stengths
Strong hands
Pack marking
Great play reader
Good ground level skills for size

Weaknesses
Pace
Tackling

Question marks
Tall forward or ruck? Good in two positions at junior level but might need to define himself in a certain position to make it at AFL level.

Comments
McEvoy is a highly rated prospect and is regarded in some circles to be the best big man in this draft behind Matthew Kreuzer. Leading up to the Championships he split time between ruck and the forward line for the Bushrangers, but since then he was almost exclusively played forward, kicking 23 goals in the final nine games of the season and only being held goalless once.

He’s got a great set of hands, which along with his strength has been one of his major assets. As with all big bodied players this certainly doesn’t make for a seamless transition up to AFL football. He still has a bit of physical maturing to go and will benefit from the move to senior football as he’s been a man playing amongst boys - it’s probably even overdue that he gets challenged by bodies as big or bigger than his own.

He can kick on his left foot adquately. He’s not exactly dual sided but his left is neat and can get him out of trouble. His disposal by foot and hand is quite good and last season he had a solid converstion rate in front of the goals.

His major weakness is his pace, however he has compensated for this by being smart. He times his leads well, which has hidden his lack of speed - if anything it can trick you into thinking he’s quick off the mark because he took quite a few marks on the lead this season. Smarter and more reactive backmen are unlikely to give him such a lead so this limits the sort of forward line role he could take on at a higher level.

Despite his physical presence he doesn’t provide very much in the way of tackling and will need to improve in his second efforts.

Around the ground his ruckwork is good, but not great. As a pure ruckman his tapwork will get you by but what he offers around the ground will help give him the edge. His ruckwork at throw-ins is better and he understands how to use his body well.

McEvoy is good below his knees, which is a rare trait for someone of his size.

At AFL he projects a ruckman, who can rest deep in the forward line. He’s done a good job leading up in the forward line as a junior but those days are over now. He has a decent frame and if it continues to grow he’ll be good isolated one on one where he can use his strength.

First round - mid to late.

Stats
2007 TAC Cup season
18 games played
28.13
178 kicks (140 of them effective)
109 handballs (96 effective)
260 hitouts
45 contested marks
99 uncontested marks
27 tackles

Jackson Hall – Gippsland Power
187cm, 76kg (sizes taken from TAC Cup Record)

Junior position: Utility
Projected AFL position: Wing/HBF

Strengths
Athleticism
Agility

Weaknesses
Consistency
One sided

Question marks
At this stage his elite athleticism far outweighs his skills. He already has the running capacity to make it but just needs a few things to follow. Can he bring his skills up to match his athleticism? Can he bulk up too?

Comments
Jackson Hall is very much the prototype of a modern AFL footballer. He is tall, athletic and likes to run the ball. While he is somewhat outside he has a reasonable understanding of when it’s his turn to go and win his own ball or lay a tackle. His 62 tackles this TAC Cup season isn’t a bad number for a guy who largely plays in a receiving role and shows that he has a willingness to go for a contest.

Early in the season his disposal by foot ranged from inconsistent to woeful, but he appears to have worked on that dramatically because late in the season he had cleaned it up a fair bit. He is still prone to the odd poor kick but they are much less frequent now, which is significant because early in the season disposal by foot was a major weakness, but it is not a huge issue, except that he’s very one sided.

His consistency being mentioned as a weakness more relates to his output within games. He does still make some bad skill errors and can drift in and out of games. At the moment he’s just a bit streaky.

He has the athleticism that AFL clubs are looking for and came fifth in the agility run at Draft Camp. He is also quick off the mark so with his height he would be well suited to playing on a wing or a sweeping role in the back line at AFL level, but he will need to bulk up a bit because he’s still quite lean.

Late second round/third round.

Stats
2007 TAC Cup season
17 games played
7.7
301 kicks (214 of them effective)
104 handballs (88 effective)
18 contested marks
93 uncontested marks
62 tackles
126 handball receives

Tom Rockliff – Murray Bushrangers
180cm, 78kgJunior position: Forward/midfield
Projected AFL position: Medium sized forward

Forward/midfield Medium sized forwardStrengths
Goal sense
Overhead skills for size
Strength

Weaknesses
Athleticism

Question marks
Lacks a big resume because of a long term injury as a 16 year old. Was he a flash in the pan in the second half of the TAC Cup season, or is he the real deal?

Comments
Rockliff came out of extreme obscurity right into draft calculations after making his TAC Cup debut in Round 10 this year. He suffered a bad leg injury at the U/16 Nationals in 2006, so he had no pre-season this year.

When he finally debuted with the Bushrangers he was an instant hit, kicking seven and six goals in his second and third games respectively. He’s not overly athletic, but more of a natural footballer and he plays the role of a small/medium sized forward well.

He is a bottom aged player with very good goal sense. Apart from two games this year he was almost deadly accurate, kicking 40.20 (literally half of his behinds came in two separate games) and leading the Bushrangers goal kicking off only half a season. His disposal in general is usually quite good. The team’s resurgence literally started when he made his debut and the only TAC Cup loss he has ever played in was the Grand Final.

His overhead skills much better than you would expect for someone standing 180cm, so he can play a bit taller than he really is, but his work at ground level makes him a dangerous threat when the ball hits the deck. He has a livewire style, so given his versatility it makes him a very good option that may present match up difficulties if he continues to develop.

Rockliff has a stocky sort of build and a good attack on the ball. He has a strong upper body, which he uses to burst through traffic and break tackles – but on top of this he’s also elusive so he can be difficult to catch but once caught, still difficult to tackle. He would have a fair bit of work to do as far as playing in the midfield, but he has had some promising stints on the ball for the Bushrangers.

There is a lot to like about Rockliff and he would be rated a lot higher if he had perhaps played the full season, represented Vic Country and did all the things that everyone else with more fanfare did. Still considered slightly speculative because of his comparative lack of experience, but has certainly done enough to wind up on an AFL list and to suggest he can succeed.

Hard to gauge where he’ll get drafted. Likely third round, but a possible bolter on the day.

Stats
2007 TAC Cup Season
12 games played
40.20
131 kicks (106 of them effective)
83 handballs (70 effective)
54 tackles
18 contested marks
33 uncontested marks

Ashley Hockey – Murray Bushrangers
181cm, 78kgJunior position: Utility
Projected AFL position: Midfield/small forward

Utility Midfield/small forwardStrengths
Work rate
Courage
Strong body

Weaknesses
Contested ground ball
Consistency in disposal

Comments
Ashley Hockey is a strong bodied and versatile player. His junior career has seen him play all over the ground – he is an effective small forward, can play off the half back line and is good in the middle too. At AFL level he projects more as a small to medium forward, who can have a run in the midfield.

Work rate is a key feature to his game. He works very hard to make space for himself wherever he’s playing and this combines well with his ability to read the play well.

A natural right footer, Hockey is one of the few prospects in this draft who is genuinely dual sided with his kicking, using his left with some regularity quite comfortably. However, his disposal does need some cleaning up. He’s had some games in the TAC Cup this year where his disposal was fantastic and he barely missed a target, but he’s had some others where his ball use wasn’t too flash. He has the potential to be an excellent ball user, but he needs to get a lot more consistency. His best by foot is very good though. He is accurate in front of goals both in general play and set shots.

Hockey has a strong upper body and likes to run the lines. He is good at breaking tackles, and in turn is good at tackling. This all ties in with the general courage he possesses as a player. Not afraid to run with the flight of the ball and doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty at the bottom of a pack. However, where courage is concerned there is one area he needs to improve and that is in contested ground balls. He tends not to go as hard at contested ground balls as the rest of his game would lend itself to and occasionally just kicks it off the ground to get it loose and into space.

Essentially he is a very workmanlike player. He’s not especially outstanding in any area but he does get a tick in most boxes, so he’s what you would call a ‘vanilla’ player. The only exception would be that he has shown a bit of flair in the forward line at times.

Late third/early fourth.

Stats
2007 TAC Cup Season
14 games played
17.8
208 kicks (145 of them effective)
81 handballs (67 effective)
38 tackles
85 handball receives
9 contested marks
77 uncontested marks

Dawson Simpson – Murray Bushrangers
205cm, 97kg (size taken from TAC Cup Record but is said to have grown to 207cm, 100kg)

Junior position: Ruck
Projected AFL position: Ruck

Strengths
Height
Fearlessness
Ground skills for size
Second efforts

Weaknesses
Ruck technique
Low possession winner

Question marks
His height has been a distinct advantage in juniors, but will it stand out as much in AFL as he’ll be up against smarter and more athletic opponents?

Comments
Dawson Simpson is a massive unit. Listed as 205cm in the TAC Cup Record (measurements taken at start of year). On top of his extreme height he also has a decent amount of bulk behind him tipping around 100kg, but the thing that makes Simpson such an exciting prospect is that this monster frame doesn’t detract heavily from his athleticism.

Immediately these measurement would conjure images of a tall dopey bloke who couldn’t put one leg ahead of the other, nevermind catch a ball, but Simpson actually moves around the ground a lot better than you would expect. On top of this he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty with second efforts so he displays a good level of intensity.

He seems to have a very good understanding of his size advantage because he doesn’t hold much fear, whether that be backing into a contest or bending down to pick up a ball in traffic.

He has a bit of work to do with his rucking as he still loses hitouts to guys under 200cm at juniors. Shaun McKernan and Jackson Trengove with superior technique and leap got the better of him in their two finals match-ups despite giving away over 10cm to Simpson, so this is a clear indication that some improvement needs to happen there and height alone won’t do it for him. With that said, it’s not like he is a bad ruckman. He is quite good and made Vic Country this year against some stiff competition, but better technique mixed with his height would go a long way.

At this stage he is still a low possession winner, even in juniors. He’s not a bad user of the ball when he gets his hands on it but he’s not really influential around the ground. Reasonable athleticism and immense size are a good combination so he’s got the makings right there to be moulded into a more effective around the ground player, but that’s not an extremely likely prospect.

Upside is a key term with Dawson Simpson. He’s shown good signs at junior level and has every chance to improve. His improvement over this season alone has shown that he could be on the way to realising his potential.

Mid second/early third round pick

Stats
2007 TAC Cup season
18 games played
6.4
68 kicks (44 of them effective)
67 handballs (58 effective)
277 hitouts
16 contested marks
30 uncontested marks
37 tackles

Ryan Normington – Murray Bushrangers
186cm, 76kgJunior position: Midfield
Projected AFL position: Outside mid

Midfield Outside midStrengths
Kicking
Decision making

Weaknesses
A bit outside
Quickness

Question marks
Is there much room for improvement with him? Will he develop a more contested side to his game?

Comments
Normington is a left footer with very good kicking skills who plays as a tall midfielder. He is one who was very high on the radar as a 16 year old but has gradually slipped in draft calculations over the past couple of years.

His disposal by foot is a key feature of his game and like most guys who are good kicks he is pretty good at decision making too. The main advantage with his kicking is that it is rather damaging and he is the sort of guy that accumulates stats, so that makes for a good combination. Normington is not someone who strikes you as very quick, but he has a fair bit of class and can put his foot down to get out of traffic.

He doesn’t typically go in to get his own ball and is more of a receiver. He will need to work on this aspect of his game because at this stage he is a little one dimensional in that regard.

Around the ball he has a good work rate and runs hard when he’s in the play, as indicated by a high number of handball receives at TAC Cup level, but his work rate when out of the play could use a bit of improvement.

Apart from his kicking there isn’t a huge amount that stands out in his game. He spent a month on the sidelines leading up to the finals, played Round 18 but not the Qualifying Final and just didn’t look right in the GF after being alright in the Prelim.

Late chance/undrafted.

Stats
2007 TAC Cup Season
12 games played
5.10
160 kicks (112 of them effective)
70 handballs (49 effective)
77 handball receives
17 tackles
8 contested marks
52 uncontested marks

Haelen Kay – Gippsland Power
186cm, 75kgJunior position: Wing, HBF, tall forward/back
Projected AFL position: Midfield, HBF

Wing, HBF, tall forward/back Midfield, HBFStrengths
Athleticism
Courage
Vertical leap/overhead skills

Weaknesses
Inconsistent kicking
Cleanness below knees
Frees against

Question marks
Can he get some consistency in his kicking? His best is very good but his worst is absolutely shocking.

Comments
Haelen Kay is a very athletic and courageous tall midfielder/rebounding defender. His pace and aerobic capacity are both impressive, which was reflected in his Draft Camp results where he came fifth in the repeat 30m sprints.

He has plenty of courage so isn’t afraid to throw himself into a pack or run back with the flight of the ball. This hard as nails approach is not especially common for a tall, athletic player of his type. It means that when in the midfield he can play in an outside receiving role, or he can be the guy that dives into packs to get it out. His hardness at the contest can result in giving away a few too many free kicks. He will need to improve his ground level skills in contested situations as occasionally he isn’t too clean below his knees, but this isn’t a major concern.

His kicking is a major weakness though. Not so much that he is a bad kick, it’s that his kicking is incredibly inconsistent. For as many lace out 55m passes he’ll make he’ll put one in the fourth row off a 30m kick with no pressure. Basically he can kick very well at times and very bad at times. This weakness is the reason that he is not so highly rated, because otherwise there is plenty to like about his game.

Kay is excellent in the air, combining a fantastic vertical leap with good overhead skills. He’s not afraid to go for the big screamer and pulled down a couple of very good pack marks this year and had a few more flies that would make highlight reels had he pulled them off.

Defensively he is solid in the air and has a good punch on him. His leap allows him to play a bit taller than he really is. He’s not a key position player (though he played some games in key posts for Gippsland) but does project as a third tall who can play above his height. He likes to run and carry the ball so this would make him a good rebounding defender or a winger and if he can fix up his kicking could become damaging.

Late round pick.

Stats
2007 TAC Cup Season
17 games played
17.14
209 kicks (133 of them effective)
72 handballs (59 effective)
47 tackles
63 handball receives
21 contested marks
51 uncontested marks

Will Sullivan – Western Jets
Ht: 202 cm Wt: 95 kg

Junior position – Ruck

AFL position – Ruck

Strong bodied ruckman who is a solid player at Under 18 TAC Cup level.

Strengths: : Sullivan dominated most ruck contests this year. His leap is ok but he excels at throw ins and ball ups where he can use his strength and solid ruck technique. Sullivan moves around the ground well and is a good endurance runner.
Weaknesses: Besides winning the run contests Big Will doesn’t do enough around the ground for me. He isn’t a strong mark, he hasn’t shown the capacity to go forward and is a little suspect against quality leaping ruckman such as Natanui, Kruezer, Trengove or McKernan

Question marks: How much development is left?

Draft Prediction: 50+/rookie/undrafted

Rhys Magin – Zillmere/Queensland
Ht: 181 cm Wt: 70 kg

Junior position – HFF / On-ball

AFL position – HFF

Big things were expected from Magin this year after he was considered by many to be unlucky to miss selection in last year’s draft. This year though he has failed to recapture the form that brought him to attention last year and if I recall correctly got him a camp invite. He will be at State screening this year. He has played some good games for Zillmere in the AFLQ but has not had the consistency or the domination that was expected from him. Magin has the package of skills and athleticism that teams like and given the chance and if his attitude is right he could be a fine AFL player. He is good around goals and finishes well.
Strengths: Good skills and athleticism.
Weaknesses: Attitude

Question marks: Will teams remember last year? Are his off-field issues a thing of the past?

Draft Prediction: Rookie/undrafted