hings happen with ball in hand. With further strong performances, clubs m

MILWAUKEE -- Searching for offensive help, the Milwaukee Brewers traded for third baseman Juan Francisco on Monday and promoted second baseman Scooter Gennett from Triple-A Nashville. Milwaukee sent minor league pitcher Tom Keeling to Atlanta for Francisco, who was designated for assignment on Thursday. Francisco, who had shared time at third base with Chris Johnson, hit .241 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 35 games with the Braves. With Aramis Ramirez still not 100 per cent after spraining his left knee early in the season, Francisco gives the Brewers another option at third and maybe first. He also provides a sorely needed left-handed bat off the bench. "First base Im not sure of," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "Third base, hes a good defender. First base, hes played there some. But well have to see that by getting him out there, where he is. Especially with this ballpark, weve got a couple more left-handers in our lineup with Scooter and him, and I think it balances out the lineup better." The 25-year-old Keeling was selected in the 18th round in 2010 out of Oklahoma State. He was 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA and one save with Double-A Huntsville this season. The Braves assigned the left-hander to Double-A Mississippi. Gennett will be in the mix at second, where Rickie Weeks has been mired in a season-long slump. One of the Brewers top prospects, Gennett hit .297 with eight stolen bases and 13 RBIs for Nashville. "I cant say that I was satisfied with the way I played but I think I did OK and held my own," Gennett said. "But I can do a lot better." Roenicke wasnt ready to commit to playing Gennett, also a lefty batter, over Weeks, who started Monday against Oakland left-hander Tommy Milone. "For right now well kind of do it a platoon system, but it wont always be that way - strictly lefty-righty," Roenicke said. "But in general terms, thats what Im thinking. Im looking forward to seeing him. Hes got some energy, which I like, and I think we need. Anytime you bring in guys that have a lot of energy - a (Jean) Segura-type energy - I think its good for your club." To make room for Francisco and Gennett on the roster, Milwaukee optioned right-hander Mike Fiers to Nashville and released shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Gonzalez hit .177 in 41 games for the Brewers. Expected to fill a bench role this season, Gonzalez was Milwaukees opening-day first baseman because of injuries to Corey Hart and Mat Gamel. He moved to third base when Ramirez went down in April. Limited to just 24 games last season due to a right knee injury, Gonzalez hit .292 during spring training but never got into a groove during the regular season. "The new position in spring, I think he enjoyed it," Roenicke said. "I dont know what the reasoning is sometimes when guys struggle but Yuni (Betancourt) played well and that left Alex out, which is difficult for a guy whos played every day for his career." After emerging as a top pitching prospect for Milwaukee last season, Fiers has struggled this year. He was removed from the rotation after just one start - when he surrendered six runs and nine hits over five innings in a 9-2 loss to Arizona on April 6. He was optioned to Nashville on April 18 and returned to Milwaukee a month later. But after giving up just two runs over his next five appearances, Fiers had a 14.20 ERA in two starts, including Sunday when he allowed five runs over 1 2-3 innings at Philadelphia. Gennett was with the Brewers on Monday but not in the starting lineup. Francisco will join the team Tuesday, after travelling from the Dominican Republic.China Jerseys . 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Discount Nike NFL Jerseys . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise.Each week, ESPN.com.au AFL draft expert Christopher Doerre - aka Knightmare - casts his eye over the countrys best junior footballers to give readers an early insight into the next generation of AFL stars.As well as attending live games, Doerre pores through match vision, analyses the stats and talks to industry sources to ensure he can offer the most insightful draft analysis.Aside from the weekly wrap, Doerre will also unveil his power rankings at the end of each month.And as we get closer to Novembers national draft, Doerre will also predict who goes where with his annual phantom draft.Player focusJoshua Begley was unsuccessful in making this years Vic Metro squad, not representing Vic Metro during the AFL Under-18 Championships. He did however receive an invite to this years AFL Draft Combine, one of 80 to receive an invite.Making a name for himself as a forward, kicking 16 goals from his first four games this season, Begley has since showed prowess playing primarily through the midfield. Begley has featured in the bests for Eastern in eight of a possible 12 games and has 23 goals to his name so far this season.Against the Geelong Falcons, he had his lowest disposal total in any game in which he has not kicked a goal this season, with 16 touches, eight contested possessions, eight tackles, five clearances and one score assist for the game.Playing through the midfield against Geelong, Begley lined up at stoppages against one of next years gun midfield prospects in James Worpel, overall breaking even, with Worpel like Begley not achieving his regular numbers through the midfield.Begley at 187cm, 87kg is already very strongly developed physically and is someone who has a presence to him out on the field. He wins first possession at stoppages, tackles aggressively, marks strongly overhead and crashes packs.Analysis?Begley has proven to be an effective ball user this season. He is not only a good finisher around goal and from set shots but also hits his targets by foot over a variety of distances. At stoppages he also dishes out well by hand to teammates.His most pressing deficiencies are a lack of pace, agility and endurance. Begley seems to have dropped some weight and covers the ground better than he did earlier in the season, but further work is still needed. He also often feels more influential earlier in games, which again comes back to his fitness base.With a few pre-seasons into him, the hope would be that he develops an AFL body and improves his running ability while still retaining his power game that makes him an impactful player.Begley at this stage is seen as someone who will come under consideration in this years draft from the third round onwards.Victorian prospect watchTAC CupHugh McCluggage seems to get a mention every week, and it should come as no surprise when looking at his numbers. This week he had 37 disposals, 16 contested possessions, five marks (one contested), four clearances, eight inside 50s, two goals and three score assists.With the AFL earlier in the week rejecting Essendons request for Will Brodie to play for their VFL side, it seems likely that Brodie is Essendons preference with what is expected to be the first overall selection in this years AFL draft. This may place McCluggage in the sights of Brisbane, Fremantle, Carlton, Gold Coast or Richmond towards the top of the draft if he has a strong finals campaign and impresses at the AFL Draft Combine.Jarrod Berry, who was touted as a potential top-10 selection coming into the season, was impressive on return from injury with 17 disposals, six marks (two contested), three goals, four behinds and two score assists.Berry has in the past made a name for himself off half back and through the midfield. Seeing Berry have an impact as a forward just adds another string to his bow and only increases his draftability. Berry will be a player to watch during the TAC Cup finals. With continued strong play he has the ability to push up draft boards.Mitch Lewis, a 197cm key forward who can rotate through the ruck, had a breakout game for Calder. He had 33 disposals, 13 marks (two contested), 12 hitouts, four goals and two score assists in a game he will be looking to build on.Top-ager Joshua Patullo, a 198cm ruckman, had a team high 29 disposals, 22 contested possessions, five marks (three contested), 27 hitouts and 12 clearances along with one goal and one score assist. This was an eye-opening performance through the ruck by Patullo for Gippsland and a game that will likely have spiked the interest of state league clubs looking for a ruckman with scope to develop.Myles Poholke showed great power at stoppages and around the ground for Dandenong with 29 disposals, 13 contested possessions, five marks (one contested), five tackles, four clearances, six inside 50s, one goal and two score assists.Sam Fowler, a 169cm forward, impressed playing this week primarily through the midfield with 28 disposals, 13 contested possessions, six tackles, six clearances, seven inside 50s and two goals.Brodie Romensky has stood out all year for Western. He was agains impressive with 38 disposals, 17 contested possessions, seven tackles, seven clearances, seven rebound 50s and one score assist.Romensky leads the TAC Cup this season, featuring in the bests 11 times from his 12 games. At 189cm, he is one of the better ball winners in the TAC Cup. He is one of a group of midfielders who could be viewed as unlucky not to receive a draft combine invite.Jaidyn Stephenson, a bottom-age forward for Eastern, was rightly named best on ground with 14 disposals, four marks (two contested), four tackles, five goals and two score assists. For a 188cm forward, Stephenson is exceptionally clean when the ball hits the deck and he showed more of the same against Geelong.His set shot-goal kicking was reliable. Impressive at one stage was his movement in traffic to avoid would-be tacklers. It was also pleasing to see Stephenson take a pack mark, then play on quickly, run for 15 metres and find the inside 50m target by foot.Eastern teammate Sam Hayes, a ruckman/key forward who was the only bottom-ager to make this years under-18 All Australian team, impressed through the ruck with 18 disposals, seven marks (two contested) and 33 hitouts.?At centre bounces Hayes felt for much of the game to be on top. What was particularly impressive was his marking, taking a pack mark with his arms raised high and a one-on-one contested marking situation where Hayes read the flight earlier than his opponent and smartly took front position. The signs are there from Hayes to push for selection early draft in 2017.Tate Short, a 188cm forward/midfielder for Eastern, had an impactful 14 disposals, six contested possessions, four marks (one contested), six tackles, three clearances and two goals. Rightly finishing in the bests for Eastern. His speccie just before quarter-time had spectators up on their feet and was one of the moments of the game.Bottom-age midfielder Jack Higgiins proved a match-winner for Oakleigh with 34 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 11 marks (one contested), three goals and four score assists.ddddddddddddTaylin Duman, a 193cm, 75kg versatile midfielder, impressed with 26 disposals, 12 contested possessions, three clearances and two score assists. This is on the back of a game with 34 disposals, 14 contested possessions, seven marks, three clearances, one goal and one score assist the previous week.Luke Bunker who has been arguably Northerns best midfielder in the matches he has played this year, had 34 disposals, 16 contested possessions, nine tackles, 10 clearances and three goals. He also contributed consistently during the under-18 Championships for Vic Metro through the midfield. Bunker is another of those unlucky midfielders not to receive a draft combine invite.Mason Blakey backed up his strong effort off half-back last weekend with 28 disposals, five marks, five tackles and four rebound 50s this week.Corey Lyons through the midfield for Sandringham had 32 disposals, 17 contested possessions, six marks (one contested), seven clearances, five inside 50s and one goal. Lyons also did not receive a draft Combine invite, despite consistent strong performances for Sandringham.Hamish Brayshaw continues his strong recent form with 24 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 10 marks (three contested), 10 tackles, four inside 50s, nine rebound 50s, one goal and one score assist.Brayshaw is making a late season push for selection in this years draft coming off 30 disposals, nine marks, one goal and 23 disposals, seven marks and four goal games in his two previous games.Todd Marshall continues his push for selection inside the top 10 with 17 disposals, seven marks (three contested), seven tackles, three goals and one score assist.VFLNorthern Blues 177cm forward Hisham Kerbatieh -- who was overlooked in last years draft -- impressed against Werribee in arguably his best game of the season with 21 disposals, three marks, three tackles and five goals.Jordan Russell, 30, had 34 disposals and eight marks (one contested) off back flank. The former Blue and Pie has this season in the VFL featured in the bests 12 of 15 games. This is an equal competition best with midfielder Michael Gibbons. Russell while not as explosive as he was earlier in his career has this year looked arguably as good as he has since his 2010 season. His leadership, footskills and intercept marking all are features of his game.Russell, while an unlikely draft prospect at the age of 30, would be a suitable rookie choice based on his form this year for a club either looking for some stability and leadership down back, or a contending team looking for some immediate depth.South Australian prospect watchSANFLLeagueZac OBrien, a former Brisbane midfielder, was West Adelaides best in a loss with 37 disposals, 21 contested possessions, 12 tackles, 14 clearances and one score assist. He has played an important role for West Adelaide through the midfield this year and is one of several state league midfielders good enough to push for an AFL list position.Arguably the best state league key forward, Brett Eddy, had another big game with 16 disposals, eight marks (one contested), seven goals, three behinds and two score assists. Eddy has the game to be a quick fix for a club looking for someone who can step into a best 22 from day one and contribute.ReservesJake Comitogianni, another midfielder to miss out on a national combine invite continued his strong form through the midfield with 31 disposals, 10 contested possessions, three clearances and two score assists.Forward Tyson Stengle continues to hit the scoreboard with 12 disposals, four marks and three goals.ColtsJack Graham, who won this years Larke Medal for best performer during the AFL Under-18 Championships, had 23 disposals, eight contested possessions, nine tackles, six inside 50s, two goals and one score assist. While Graham is one of this years better performed draft prospects, his unreliable footskills are likely to see fall outside the first round and possibly somewhere in the second round.Ben Jarman continues his push for selection as a father-son prospect with 23 disposals, 17 contested possessions, four marks, seven tackles, eight clearances and one goal. Jarman has built a reputation for his composure with ball in hand, skills and finishing ability around goal. Showing that he can win the contested ball and win clearances at 175cm as he did on the weekend will serve him well and only heighten his draftability.Western Australian prospect watchWAFLLeaguePossible West Coast father-son selection Jake Waterman was impressive in his first WAFL League game with 15 disposals, four marks and five goals. This came after a strong first WAFL Reserves game last week when he had 19 disposals, nine marks and three goals.The 189cm Waterman is not seen as an early draft selection but on the back of his recent performances and the ease with which he has stepped up to the plate against more mature opposition, he is making an increasingly compelling case to West Coast for selection.ColtsFlashy forward Shai Bolton again had an impact with 17 disposals (16 kicks), nine inside 50s, three goals and three behinds. Bolton is an explosive forward who makes things happen with ball in hand. With further strong performances, clubs may look at Bolton with selections late in the first round.Projected top-10 selection Tim English as he does so often, had an impact around the ground with 24 disposals, 11 marks, 15 hitouts and one goal.Possible top-five selection Sam Petrevski-Seton continued his exciting form with 28 disposals, seven marks, six inside 50s and one goal.West Australias other ruckman Jeremy Goddard had his strongest impact around the ground for the season with 21 disposals, three marks, 30 hitouts and one goal. Goddard is a powerful ruckman who typically takes advantage of opponents at stoppages. Seeing Goddard expand his game and find more of the footy around the ground and kick a goal is a positive step in the right direction in his development.Division two states (Tasmania, Northern Territory, NSW/ACT, Queensland and Northern Academy) prospects watchBrisbane AcademyJacob Allison, Brisbanes promising 194cm utility, had one of his better games for the season with 20 disposals, eight marks, three inside 50s, four rebound 50s and one goal.Declan Watson as a key defender also continues to show promise with 13 disposals, five marks and three rebound 50s.Gold Coast AcademyBottom-age prospect Jacob Dawson continued to show promise through the midfield with 24 disposals, seven tackles and eight clearances.Brad Scheer was again productive with 17 disposals, five marks, three tackles and one goal.Jack Bowes, playing as a forward impacted the scoreboard with 12 disposals, three marks, five tackles and three goals. ' ' '