{"id":26227,"date":"2017-06-05T18:50:09","date_gmt":"2017-06-05T08:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.afldraftcentral.com.au\/?p=26227"},"modified":"2017-06-05T19:16:35","modified_gmt":"2017-06-05T09:16:35","slug":"matt-balmers-2017-afl-draft-june-power-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2017\/06\/05\/matt-balmers-2017-afl-draft-june-power-rankings\/","title":{"rendered":"Matt Balmer\u2019s 2017 AFL Draft June Power Rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"

IN an AFL Draft Central feature, AFL Draft analyst Matt Balmer<\/strong> will rank and update his Power Rankings on the first Monday of every month.<\/em><\/p>\n

You can read\u00a0Matt Balmer<\/strong>\u2018s May\u00a0edition of his\u00a0Power Rankings<\/strong>\u00a0here<\/a>:<\/p>\n

June is crunch time for AFL club recruiters. They will be analysing every move of the players in the National Under 18 Championships, and, as we have seen in past seasons, players who play well push their names up the order. But for those left out of various squads – the dream is not over with 17 players last year drafted out of the TAC Cup without playing in the National Under 18 Championships for example.<\/p>\n

I’ve extended the rankings out to 30 names as well as a five names to keep an eye on during the National Under 18 Championships.<\/p>\n

#1 Jarrod Brander<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Key Position Forward\/Defender\u00a0(Bendigo Pioneers\/Allies)
\n11\/02\/1999 | 195cm | 90kg
\nPrevious ranking: #1<\/p>\n

Scouting notes:<\/u>\u00a0Key Position tall that can play at either end. Can play well at either end, reading the flight of the ball well. Is mobile up forward which allows him to make multiple leads. Missed most of 2016 through knee injury, but jumped on the scene booting over 20 goals for Geelong Grammar in the 1st XVIII competition as a Year 10 in 2015.\u00a0Doesn\u2019t look out of place in defence after playing there for the AFL Academy \u2013 as well as collecting 26 disposals in defence in the APS v AGSV school boy game last year. Was originally zoned to GWS but it is now ineligible for GWS to select him under changes to their Academy zone. Best swingman in the draft – with healthy debate which end he best plays his football.<\/p>\n

Last month:<\/u> Brander returned from a minor knee injury to boot five goals for Geelong Grammar in their loss to Brighton Grammar. Brander played school football instead of the Allies’ trial games but will line-up for the Allies in their first game of the Under 18 Championships. Turned it on with a strong third quarter in the ‘Geelong Derby’ between College and Grammar, marking and kicking well under pressure and was a class above finishing with five goals.<\/p>\n

#2 Luke Davies-Uniacke
\n<\/strong>Inside Midfielder (Dandenong Stingrays\/Vic Country)
\n08\/06\/1999 | 187cm | 85kg
\nPrevious ranking: #2<\/p>\n

Scouting notes:<\/u>\u00a0Strong bodied inside midfielder who tackles hard and wins the clearances. Has had a fair share of injuries over the last few seasons but appears to be over them. Is the player most ready to go and could walk into AFL from Day 1 with ease. Is powerful and loves the contested situations. Davies-Uniacke is able to stand up when getting tackled and uses his strength to\u00a0dispose of the ball.<\/p>\n

Last month:<\/u> Continuing to find a stack of the ball for Haileybury College with multiple 30 plus disposal games playing school football. Had 44 disposals against a weak Geelong College outfit and looks primed to star in the Under 18 Championships. Broke tackles with ease on Saturday against Scotch College and a pinpoint left foot kick to switch the ball into the centre corridor was a highlight.<\/p>\n

#3 Darcy Fogarty<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>General Forward\/Inside Midfielder (Glenelg\/South Australia)
\n05\/09\/1999 | 192cm | 88kg
\nPrevious ranking: #3<\/p>\n

Scouting notes:<\/u>\u00a0Strongly built forward that can push into the midfield. Played up forward for South Australia in last year\u2019s Under 18 Championships booting seven\u00a0goals. Fogarty played a strong game in the midfield for Glenelg in their finals last year and has been tried as a third tall defender in the SANFL Under 18 trial and the AFL Academy games. He is probably more of a third tall than an inside midfielder at this stage.<\/p>\n

Last month:<\/u> Fogarty has been playing League football for Glenelg. He\u00a0has not found a large amount of football, averaging just eight disposals in his last three outings. As expected however, he is winning the ball in the contest, possessing a high contested possession percentage and laying tackles.<\/p>\n

[embedyt] https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=udxZShlirCM[\/embedyt]<\/p>\n

#4 Jaidyn Stephenson
\n<\/strong>?<\/strong>Medium Forward (Eastern Ranges\/Vic Metro)
\n15\/01\/1999 | 189cm | 76kg
\nPrevious ranking: #4<\/p>\n

Scouting notes<\/u>: Plays as a tall forward marking target inside 50 despite being medium size. Has a big wingspan which sees him pluck the ball from above his opponents reach. He converts his set-shot chances more than not, after bursting onto the scene with a terrific finals series for Eastern Ranges as an Under 16 back in 2015. Stephenson has pushed up onto the wing at times, but plays his best up forward. He moves well and holds a great endurance base to go with a really closing speed.<\/p>\n

Last month:<\/u>\u00a0Has played predominantly in the midfield\u00a0for the Ranges and was superb in their win over Bendigo Pioneers. Stephenson had 22 disposals and seven clearances (including four centre clearances) and showed another string to his bow. He laid 13 tackles against Dandenong Stingrays in Round 8 before collecting 26 disposals against Sandringham Dragons on Saturday.<\/p>\n

[embedyt] https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bhjKqm9hBtY[\/embedyt]<\/p>\n

#5 Will Sutherland
\n<\/strong>?Key Position Forward\u00a0(Scotch College\/Vic Metro)
\n27\/10\/1999 | 195cm | 90kg
\nPrevious ranking:\u00a0N\/A<\/p>\n

Scouting notes:<\/u> Athletic tall who is a strong overhead mark. Sutherland picks the ball up cleanly from ground level and is very good below his knees. Is smart inside 50 and is willing to block opponents to help his teammates. Has midfield craft and has attended multiple centre bounces at school level. Australian Under 19 cricket captain. Has a tough decision on his hand – think cricket is narrowly back in front compared to\u00a0this time last month.<\/p>\n

Last month:<\/u> Has recently trained with the Vic Metro squad and has impressed at Scotch College, now selected in the Metro\u00a0squad for the National Under 18 Championships. Against top-of-the-table Carey Grammar, Sutherland clunked nine marks (five contested) and booted three goals in a standout performance in the first half, before a niggle saw him ineffective and well shut down in the second half. He does have midfield potential – but attended just one centre bounce against Carey but spent a large part of the second half in their clash against Haileybury on Saturday through the midfield. His cleanness below his knees was outstanding on Saturday.<\/p>\n

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Not a lot of vision floating around of Will Sutherland – but some here from 2016 school game. Wearing #5 #AFLDraft<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/OzNNu44sMq<\/a><\/p>\n

— Rookie Me Central (@RookieMeCentral) May 23, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n