2015 Draft Discussion

[cotter101]

Yeah Suns will go Schache if Dixon leaves. But right now, I'd take Dixon over Schache everyday of the week and twice on Sundays. Don't get me wrong, I love Schache as a player. I'm purely thinking of where our list is currently at.

Our core group of players next year at some stage will be Beams(26), Christensen(25), Hanley(27), Martin(29), Redden(25), Rich(26), Rockliff(26) and Zorko (27). We can't wait 4 years for Schache to develop, even though he may become superior to Dixon. Dixon is ready to go. We need a premiership before those guys are gone, or we end up starting from scratch, again.

In which case, I'd then have my eyes on Francis, Partington and Balic. I don't think we'll finish with a top 3 pick for what its worth.

 

[jjami15]

Yeah Suns will go Schache if Dixon leaves. But right now, I'd take Dixon over Schache everyday of the week and twice on Sundays. Don't get me wrong, I love Schache as a player. I'm purely thinking of where our list is currently at.

Our core group of players next year at some stage will be Beams(26), Christensen(25), Hanley(27), Martin(29), Redden(25), Rich(26), Rockliff(26) and Zorko (27). We can't wait 4 years for Schache to develop, even though he may become superior to Dixon. Dixon is ready to go. We need a premiership before those guys are gone, or we end up starting from scratch, again.

In which case, I'd then have my eyes on Francis, Partington and Balic. I don't think we'll finish with a top 3 pick for what its worth.

This is not going to happen with this group of players, there is a reason why we have been down of the bottom of the ladder for so long, they're just not elite players and even if some were you need a team with very very good players all over especially the bottom 6 of your 22 players. If anything I would look at Rockliff, Beams and Hanley being the ones who help develop the younger said and future crop to get there. So for me, no to Dixon, draft Schache and let him and Freeman and McStay be our mainstays of our forward line for the next 10yrs

 

[jackess]

This is not going to happen with this group of players, there is a reason why we have been down of the bottom of the ladder for so long, they're just not elite players and even if some were you need a team with very very good players all over especially the bottom 6 of your 22 players. If anything I would look at Rockliff, Beams and Hanley being the ones who help develop the younger said and future crop to get there. So for me, no to Dixon, draft Schache and let him and Freeman and McStay be our mainstays of our forward line for the next 10yrs

And if Schache leaves after 2 years, Freeman never gets his body right and McStay turns out to be a C grader?

 

[iBeng]

And if Schache leaves after 2 years, Freeman never gets his body right and McStay turns out to be a C grader?

Cant see Schache leaving, Freeman is a call way to early and McStay will be a B grader at worst.

 

[jjami15]

And if Schache leaves after 2 years, Freeman never gets his body right and McStay turns out to be a C grader?

I understand why you could think like that. But I saw more in Freemans few games last year than all of Close's games combined. At best he might be like Dawes.

 

[cotter101]

This is not going to happen with this group of players, there is a reason why we have been down of the bottom of the ladder for so long, they're just not elite players and even if some were you need a team with very very good players all over especially the bottom 6 of your 22 players. If anything I would look at Rockliff, Beams and Hanley being the ones who help develop the younger said and future crop to get there. So for me, no to Dixon, draft Schache and let him and Freeman and McStay be our mainstays of our forward line for the next 10yrs

Rockliff, Beams, Hanley and Martin are elite in their positions when fit no doubt. And we've got enough good young talent developing behind them over the next 2 years to get us to the stage where we should be challenging in Mayes, Taylor, Robbo, McStay, Freeman, Andrews, Clarke, Paparone, McGrath etc etc.

 

[jackess]

I understand why you could think like that. But I saw more in Freemans few games last year than all of Close's games combined. At best he might be like Dawes.

Dawes won a premiership.

We have to push for finals ASAP to survive as a club. We can't rely on the guys we draft in the next 5 years to win us a premiership in 2025 because ATM we don't have a lot of talent between 18 and 25 years old.

 

[WA Lion]

Rockliff, Beams, Hanley and Martin are elite in their positions when fit no doubt. And we've got enough good young talent developing behind them over the next 2 years to get us to the stage where we should be challenging in Mayes, Taylor, Robbo, McStay, Freeman, Andrews, Clarke, Paparone, McGrath etc etc.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[jjami15]

Dawes won a premiership.

We have to push for finals ASAP to survive as a club. We can't rely on the guys we draft in the next 5 years to win us a premiership in 2025 because ATM we don't have a lot of talent between 18 and 25 years old.

I can see that there are some, like yourself and Cotter who have the perception that we are a couple of players away. I am not one of those, call me jaded but I just don't see it with that crop of players. It would actually be nice to make the finals and then it is another thing to be competitive and then another level to win a premiership.

 

[jackess]

I can see that there are some, like yourself and Cotter who have the perception that we are a couple of players away. I am not one of those, call me jaded but I just don't see it with that crop of players. It would actually be nice to make the finals and then it is another thing to be competitive and then another level to win a premiership.

We're a couple of A graders away from pushing the top 4.

We can't rely on the next 5 drafts to turn us into a top 4 hopefully, somewhere down the track. Especially when we can't retain or develop talent nearly as well as half the teams.

Player movement is on the rise and if we don't bring in players through free agency and trading we'll keep losing players and go nowhere.

 

[WA Lion]

We're a couple of A graders away from pushing the top 4.

We can't rely on the next 5 drafts to turn us into a top 4 hopefully, somewhere down the track. Especially when we can't retain or develop talent nearly as well as half the teams.

Player movement is on the rise and if we don't bring in players through free agency and trading we'll keep losing players and go nowhere.

yep agreed, call me optimistic after how the last few years have gone but I have seen enough in the current group to think we are one Key forward and one Key Defender from being seriously good in about 2 years time when our youngsters have played 50 or so games

 

[cotter101]

I can see that there are some, like yourself and Cotter who have the perception that we are a couple of players away. I am not one of those, call me jaded but I just don't see it with that crop of players. It would actually be nice to make the finals and then it is another thing to be competitive and then another level to win a premiership.

I can see it. Remember, players are still adjusting to the new game plan. However, that won't be an excuse next week. Getting Dixon won't just be so he can sit there and kick goals, although that's what his job would be. It'd make it so much easier on guys like Freeman and McStay. Makes our forward line look so much better overall.

I'm quite happy with the list we have heading into the next 4 or 5 years when it comes to challenging. We're just a couple of Key players short. Plenty of development to come with the current group we have.

 

[POBT]

If we don't try to win a flag with the likes of Rich, Redden etc, then we might as well give up AFL and join the TAC Cup instead.

Seriously, no matter how unlikely, I'd rather try and win a flag in the next 5 years, than start again.

 

[jackess]

I get we shouldn't push for top 4 at the expense of our future but if we can get Dixon while keeping our first rounder we'll be replacing some experience and still draft a few quality kids.

 

[chopperduck]

Doing a Carlton and simply hitting finals for a few years then rebuilding without ever really threatening would be a disaster.

We simply have to aim for a flag with this group of players.

 

[captainrich]

Without a Mature forward and maybe defender we wont even be challenging for finals, just the perennial midtable that Richmond has been

 

[knaf]

I think we are about "1995ish" in terms of list development. Everything goes right and we make the finals next year. Young players will get final experience, but we will be a bottom of the eight team at best. We need to build another group of young quality players to be realistic top four chance. Unfortunately can't see Rocky and Hanley in a Lions grand final team. I don't like it but it is what it is. I will be delighted if I am wrong.
But can't see us as two players form serious contenders.

 

[Sherrinator]

Making the finals every couple of years is more important than winning flags.

What have those 3 flags done for us as a club? Nothing except make our administration complacent.

 

[Nuggo]

Making the finals every couple of years is more important than winning flags.

What have those 3 flags done for us as a club? Nothing except make our administration complacent.

What do mean? Winning those three flags were some of the greatest days in my life.

 

[carnthemlions]

This is not going to happen with this group of players, there is a reason why we have been down of the bottom of the ladder for so long, they're just not elite players and even if some were you need a team with very very good players all over especially the bottom 6 of your 22 players. If anything I would look at Rockliff, Beams and Hanley being the ones who help develop the younger said and future crop to get there. So for me, no to Dixon, draft Schache and let him and Freeman and McStay be our mainstays of our forward line for the next 10yrs

It's hard not to be pretty pessimistic at times, but saying we should give up on our current rebuild so we can have another rebuild is taking it a bit far.

 

[lions27]

Making the finals every couple of years is more important than winning flags.

What have those 3 flags done for us as a club? Nothing except make our administration complacent.

Spot on, flags are nice but sustained success is better. Just having a competitive team will build a better club and supporter base. Look at the Tigers.

 

[Schache It Off]

Spot on, flags are nice but sustained success is better. Just having a competitive team will build a better club and supporter base. Look at the Tigers.

No finals from 2002-2012? They still had a strong supporter base despite being terrible

 

[baaaall!]

Spot on, flags are nice but sustained success is better. Just having a competitive team will build a better club and supporter base. Look at the Tigers.

Why can't we have both?
Win the flag every year.

 

[lions27]

No finals from 2002-2012? They still had a strong supporter base despite being terrible

Yeah i might have got a bit excited, how about sydney, geelong, hawthorn, west coke, North?

 

[Skippos]

I think it was Skippos who mentioned that who the Suns pick will come down to what happens with Dixon. If they keep Dixon, more likely to pick Weitering and if Dixon leaves they'll pick up Schache.

This is no longer the case.

Suns won't be picking Schache, I don't believe.