By Emma Quayle
Canberra
October 3, 2004
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/real ... 88614.html
I posted the whole article because you have to login to view it.The field for next month's AFL draft is shaping as more even than in recent seasons, with a standout top six or seven players, a deeper than usual pool and a strong batch of key-position and ruck prospects.
That's the feeling among club recruiters, who updated their opinions on the leading young prospects at the annual draft camp in Canberra this week, seven weeks out from the November 20 draft.
Hawthorn recruiting manager Gary Buckenara, who holds two of the first five picks, said while there would be better players left at the end of this year's draft, the field began to even out after the first six.
"I think the consensus is that it's a very good five or six, and probably near impossible for anyone to try to pick a list after six," Buckenara said.
"It goes a bit deeper than last year. Last year there was probably 10 or so right at the top and then it fell away, and this time you'll be finding some really good players after 50 or 60. I think it's a draft where you can be a bit specific to the needs of your list."
Kangaroos recruiting manager Neville Stibbard said the AFL's efforts to lure tall players from other sports was beginning to pay off.
"The clubs have been trying to get taller kids back in the system and it's excellent to see the size of these kids coming through," he said.
"They're a pretty athletic group, and you can see why they've been grabbed by basketball and other sports over the last few years. We're starting to get some of them back, which is terrific."
Adelaide recruiting manager James Fantasia tipped a few ruckmen would fall in the first round.
South Australians Cameron Wood and Chad Gibson tested well, as did Northern Knight Adam Pattison and Geelong's John Meesen.
Australian Institute of Sport psychologist Noel Blundell considered Eastern ruckman Fabian Deluca's reaction times the best he had seen in a tall player in the draft camp's 10 years.
"It's not often you see a draft where you have three, possibly four, ruckmen who could go in the first round. It's kind of unique in that sense, this year," Fantasia said.
"I think the front end of the draft is as strong as it has been in the past, then it winds to not having the same strength as other drafts from the late first round, early second round.
"There's some really good footballers in there and they'll come through, but there's arguably more risk at the back end of the draft than there has been."
The likely top five selections in the November 20 AFL national draft:
Brett Deledio (midfielder, Murray Bushrangers)
Ryan Griffen (midfielder, South Adelaide)
Richard Tambling (midfielder, Southern Districts)
Lance Franklin (key-position player, Perth)
Jarryd Roughead (key-position player, Gippsland)
