2006 NAB AFL DRAFT

• BIG FOOTY - PHANTOM DRAFT COMPARISONS
• 'Saint_Express' PRE-DRAFT ANALYSIS

2006 NAB AFL DRAFT - 25th Nov at 10am VR Dome
St Kilda are left with draft picks 9, 27, 59, and 75 after trading.
2006 NAB AFL Draft order of selection After Trade Week - saints.com.au
All clubs must have a minimum of three picks in the November draft and any traded selection must be used in the draft.

Official Senior List Update
St Kilda Football Club has made the following updates to its senior list:- Cain Ackland (delisted), Cathal Corr (delisted), Matthew Ferguson (delisted), Ed McDonnell (delisted), Mark McGough (delisted), Allan Murray (delisted), Dylan Pfitzner (delisted), Justin Peckett (retired), Stephen Powell (retired)
Saints Senior List Update saints.com.au/31Oct06
All clubs - list of changes AFL/saints.com.au/31Oct06
Changes to club playing lists news.com.au/TownsvilleBulletin/31Oct06
The Cleanout - Stage 1 Complete? 'rodgerfox' et al/saintsational.com

Call to keep cut draftees in the system
The AFL Players Association is pushing for clubs to commit a rookie list position to draftees they cut after only one season. The association believes clubs should honour the spirit of the mandatory two-year contracts offered to teenage prospects by ensuring they are kept in the system for at least that long. Essendon this week delisted first-year defender Austin Lucy, chosen at No. 66 in last year's national draft, after Adelaide earlier cut Alan Obst, the 48th selection last November. Association operations manager Matt Finnis said the delistings were "not ideal", since the teenagers had been selected on the understanding they had two years to prove their worth . . . For the first time this year, untried over-23 players taken in the pre-season draft can also be signed for a single season. "That's something we hope will provide clubs with the incentive to perhaps take on a player who's excelled at a regional or state level," Finnis said. Fremantle and the Brisbane Lions have also cut players - Toby Stribling and Luke Forsyth - who spent 2006 on those clubs' rookie lists after only one season on the senior list.
The Article Emma Quayle/TheAge RealFooty/27Oct06

Too much on offer to be ignored
It's pretty rare when an All-Australian state captain is not invited to the AFL draft camp. Sturt rover Tom Hurley did everything right in 2006, playing 16 league games, but still didn't generate enough interest from AFL scouts to get a berth in Canberra this month. While he at least made it to SA's state-based screening on October 13, Hurley is keeping an extremely level head when it comes to having his name called on November 24. "I'd really like to get drafted but I just have to wait and hope for the best," Hurley, 18, said.
The Article Zac Milbank/AdelaideAdvertiser/25Oct06

Draft picks, profiles and discussion
Jack Riewoldt at pick 9? 'Pureoctain' et al/saintsational.com
Clayton Collard 'saintsRrising' et al/saintsational.com
Jack Riewoldt 'redwhite&blackblood' et al/saintsational.com

No room for Chambers
Midfielder Callum Chambers is the latest player to be let go by the Blues. In a prepared statement on Monday, the club announced that Chambers, who played 12 matches in his two seasons with the Blues after crossing from the West Coast Eagles in 2004, would not be offered a new contract. Originally from Lucknow and the Gippsland Under-18s, Chambers played 54 games for West Coast between 2000 and 2004. He was a member of Carlton's 2005 pre-season premiership team.
The Article Angus Morgan/Sportal/saints.com.au/23Oct06

Young Sam Sheldon - Carlton decision
. . . The (Carlton) club will speak with the families of Jake Williams (son of Greg), Tomi Johnston (son of Wayne) and Sam Sheldon (son of Ken) in the next week, but are likely to choose only one of them, if that, as a third-round father-son pick. Sheldon is eligible to spend another season in the under-18 competition, which would help uncomplicate the situation, but the club must weigh up whether it would want any of the trio and whether they would be available later in the draft, or even fall through to the rookie draft. (these para's were included in the 'Bradley rejoins Blues' article)
Bradley rejoins Blues Emma Quayle/TheAge RealFooty/21Oct06

The Draft: 'We can't lose', says Pagan
Carlton coach Denis Pagan believes his club cannot lose regardless of which player it takes with the No.1 pick in next month's AFL national draft. This season's selection of young players is rated as one of the finest drafts in years - and certainly the best since Luke Hodge, Luke Ball and Chris Judd went one, two and three in 2001 . . . Pagan said the final decision which player to take at No.1 would be left up to Blues recruiting manager Wayne Hughes, who chose exciting midfielder Marc Murphy with last season's top pick.
The Article Guy Hand/AdelaideAdvertiser/21Oct06

Gibbs likely to be signed by Carlton
Bryce Gibbs has firmed as the likely No. 1 pick at next month's AFL national draft following Carlton's decision to sign uncontracted St Kilda ruckman Cain Ackland. The Blues were understood to be tossing up between Gibbs and West Australian ruckman Matthew Leuenberger with the overall first selection but with Ackland on board they are almost certain to switch their attention to the ace Glenelg midfielder. Carlton was in desperate need of a ruckman after the end-of-season retirement of Barnaby French. It yesterday confirmed that it was set to take 24-year-old Ackland, who played 41 games in two seasons with the Saints after arriving from Port Adelaide, with the first pick at the pre-season draft after he agreed to sign a lucrative three-year deal.
The Article Andrew Capel/AdelaideAdvertiser/28Oct06