Opinion Post here if disappointed with your clubs draft picks

[Bojan KantKick]

You clearly have never watched Francis play.

Talking to a friend at West Adelaide he likened Francis to country boy Ricciuto from SA, the best 1 on 1 player since the great Ricciuto, played forward he is really hard to stop, reads the play much like Hodge when in defence, one of the best 1 on 1 players to come out of SA.
Sorry to get in the way of a good story.

Hahahahahahahahahahah thats farkkin gold!

You're right mate. A Hodge/Riccuito combo was taken with your second selection. Parish must be a Judd/McLeod/Voss and Buckley combo to be taken ahead of Francis. Congrats.

 

[MightyDons4]

Hahahahahahahahahahah thats farkkin gold!

You're right mate. A Hodge/Riccuito combo was taken with your second selection. Parish must be a Judd/McLeod/Voss and Buckley combo to be taken ahead of Francis. Congrats.

And what's your opinion of North's draftees?

 

[Bojan KantKick]

And what's your opinion of North's draftees?

I'm hopeful that 2 of them (McKay and Clarke) will become best 22 players in a couple of years. Any more is a bonus.

One thing i am not doing is comparing 18 year olds to legends of the AFL.

 

[MightyDons4]

I'm hopeful that 2 of them (McKay and Clarke) will become best 22 players in a couple of years. Any more is a bonus.

One thing i am not doing is comparing 18 year olds to legends of the AFL.

He was comparing a junior Francis to a junior Riccuito.

 

[MightyTiger]

From supposedly the weakest draft in history to now every club drafting a champion.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

I'm hopeful that 2 of them (McKay and Clarke) will become best 22 players in a couple of years. Any more is a bonus.

One thing i am not doing is comparing 18 year olds to legends of the AFL.

Pussy.

We're gonna finally see the Brownlow draped around Farren Ray's neck.

 

[Bojan KantKick]

He was comparing a junior Francis to a junior Riccuito.

Does that make it any better. Ben McKay reminds me of a young John Coleman

 

[Since 2001]

I dont understand how Oliver has gone from not being expected to being drafted, then being a 30's pick, then winning the moorish medal or what ever its called, the becoming a first round pick and then a top 5 pick. Did hype help get him there over his actual potential? Is the so called hype over rated and will the dees once again miss their chance? Or was the hype deserved and the Dees finally made a correct decision?

 

[master bate]

I dont understand how Oliver has gone from not being expected to being drafted, then being a 30's pick, then winning the moorish medal or what ever its called, the becoming a first round pick and then a top 5 pick. Did hype help get him there over his actual potential? Is the so called hype over rated and will the dees once again miss their chance? Or was the hype deserved and the Dees finally made a correct decision?

I obviously think the latter.

But if you look at his story (some bits that I don't know much about) there's reasons for his rise. I believe he's an Echuca boy and wasn't getting a look in at the Bendigo Pioneers last year so wasn't on the draft radar. Nothing unusual there, I think a lot of this kids drafted have come from a while back within a year. He then moved to Mooroopna and closer to school and joined the Murray Bushrangers who with respect to Bendigo seem a much better team. He was injured preseason and then started slow in the TAC cup so combined with not being on the draft radar didn't get picked for Vic Country. But the Dees recruiting team were apparently already watching him closely. As the season went on he just got better and better and played a couple of solid VFL games then dominated the TAC cup after that.

It's a small sample size that doesn't include the U18 champs but I don't think that matters. Adelaide drafted Jake Lever from his 17 year old year after an ACL injury wiped out his top year, how many games was he judged from? The cats drafted Cockatoo after he missed almost the whole year and played a blinder in the MCG grand final day game.

If you look at his stats and where he features in the best you can see he's in the best almost every game from the end of May. He's kicking goals, taking contested marks, laying tackles. And once he comes back from the stint in the VFL he starts kicking the ball more and is exclusively in his teams best 2 players.

http://www.foxsportspulse.com/team_...97829388&client=1-3020-111726-339771-20320262

So from a football stand point I think we've got a good one. Then in terms of injuries or doubts on his body in a short space of time he got in really good knick for the draft combine. Ran a solid 3km. Aced the agility which you see in the way he plays. And not that it means all that much he was perfect in the goal kicking which is handy when he's going to play forward as well as mid given all players will need a couple of positions with rotations coming down.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I'm not particularly surprised that Oliver went so high and I think it has a fair bit to do with the success recently of the likes of Wines and Cripps. They see him as a very low risk of busting, given his attributes and ability and he is a very, very Roos pick. Roos has been going on for a couple of years now about how he wants a big, tall, strong midfield and now they have Brayshaw, Oliver, Petracca, Vandenberg, Tyson and Vince who are at least 186cm tall, so he'd be happy as Larry.

 

[womble54]

Collins is the 2nd coming of Brian Lake.

 

[demondavey]

You clearly have never watched Francis play.

Talking to a friend at West Adelaide he likened Francis to country boy Ricciuto from SA, the best 1 on 1 player since the great Ricciuto, played forward he is really hard to stop, reads the play much like Hodge when in defence, one of the best 1 on 1 players to come out of SA.
Sorry to get in the way of a good story.

Oh yes of course, the old 'a friend of mine' story. Glad it was your 'friend' that likened him to Ricciuto.
Was that the same friend of yours that said Richard Tambling was perhaps going to be the next Chris Lewis?
Or perhaps Aaron Fiora a bolter at no.3 in 1999?
Please... You've no idea how he will turn out.

 

[L_W_P]

I dont understand how Oliver has gone from not being expected to being drafted, then being a 30's pick, then winning the moorish medal or what ever its called, the becoming a first round pick and then a top 5 pick. Did hype help get him there over his actual potential? Is the so called hype over rated and will the dees once again miss their chance? Or was the hype deserved and the Dees finally made a correct decision?

On the Saints board someone brought up a great point about Oliver v Gresham.

So, sliding doors? If the judges give him the 3 votes for that Gippsland game instead of 1, Gresh wins the Morrish, Oliver doesn't... so Melbourne doesn't buy into the hype for Oli and pick him at 3... Gresh gets that hype instead... we don't get the Gresh.

Never been happier about 3 votes in my life.

Gresham finished 2nd in the Morrish medal by a single vote. In one game he had 33 touches and kicked a goal but was only given 1 vote. If he had've been given 2 votes then he would have been a co-winner. If he picked up all 3 then he would have won it outright and Oliver probably doesn't get anywhere near the same level of hype.

 

[L_W_P]

Collins is the 2nd coming of Brian Lake.

So he will leave you in 10 years to win a flag somewhere else?

 

[womble54]

So he will leave you in 10 years to win a flag somewhere else?

Was actually dangling for a hawks response but that'll do

Brian Lake - magnificent mark and utter flog of a bloke. Let's hope Collins offers the former not the latter.....

 

[hepd]

On the Saints board someone brought up a great point about Oliver v Gresham.

Gresham finished 2nd in the Morrish medal by a single vote. In one game he had 33 touches and kicked a goal but was only given 1 vote. If he had've been given 2 votes then he would have been a co-winner. If he picked up all 3 then he would have won it outright and Oliver probably doesn't get anywhere near the same level of hype.

I'm sure recruiters are a lot more intelligent than that and do their due diligence - of the past 10 years, the only notable winners are Heppell and perhaps Kreuzer and then you'd have to stretch all the way back to 1998 where Lenny Hayes last won it.

They'd be doing their club a huge disservice if they bought into hype I guess - the problem with Clayton Oliver is his lack of exposed form, especially at champs but if I'm not mistaken, he missed out on selection due to OP rather than merit and his VFL form showed he could match it with the men

 

[The Bomb]

Oh yes of course, the old 'a friend of mine' story. Glad it was your 'friend' that likened him to Ricciuto.
Was that the same friend of yours that said Richard Tambling was perhaps going to be the next Chris Lewis?
Or perhaps Aaron Fiora a bolter at no.3 in 1999?
Please... You've no idea how he will turn out.

Francis is such a natural footballer, he will turn out just fine.
Hope Oliver can play, as he is a player I have never actually seen play the game and you guys took the gamble on becoming the better of the 2.

Also the old 'a friend of mine' story was 1st to break the news about Bassett leaving and going to Port, his most hated destination. or what about the Duigan hating on Mick hence leaving carlton.
SANFL have people who actually know things about SA players.

 

[master bate]

On the Saints board someone brought up a great point about Oliver v Gresham.



Gresham finished 2nd in the Morrish medal by a single vote. In one game he had 33 touches and kicked a goal but was only given 1 vote. If he had've been given 2 votes then he would have been a co-winner. If he picked up all 3 then he would have won it outright and Oliver probably doesn't get anywhere near the same level of hype.

Doubt the Morrish medal means much if anything. No one declares AFL players better than others on the basis on a Brownlow. See Priddis last year. Why would recruiters do that with juniors? I'm sure it was Oliver's run of form with multiple goals and dominating at clearances that saw peole take notice of him, plus we had been watching him since the start of the year.

Gresham is a beauty. Inside and outside, good skills, quick. But I'd rather take my chances with the kid who's 187cm than 177cm with a top 5 pick. Would a Morrish medal have changed Melbourne's opinion for their second pick in going for a tall in Weideman? Or Carlton going for McKay and Curnow? Doubt it.

Given Adelaide and Richmond took bolters in Doedee and Rioli I think it's fair to say they wouldn't have changed their mind based on a vote or two.

 

[Deemented]

On the Saints board someone brought up a great point about Oliver v Gresham.



Gresham finished 2nd in the Morrish medal by a single vote. In one game he had 33 touches and kicked a goal but was only given 1 vote. If he had've been given 2 votes then he would have been a co-winner. If he picked up all 3 then he would have won it outright and Oliver probably doesn't get anywhere near the same level of hype.

To say that's drawing a long bow is an understatement, without any inside knowledge I would be happy to suggest that had not one ounce of influence on where either player was selected

 

[marty36]

Francis is such a natural footballer, he will turn out just fine.
Hope Oliver can play, as he is a player I have never actually seen play the game and you guys took the gamble on becoming the better of the 2.

Also the old 'a friend of mine' story was 1st to break the news about Bassett leaving and going to Port, his most hated destination. or what about the Duigan hating on Mick hence leaving carlton.
SANFL have people who actually know things about SA players.

I saw Francis play college footy 3 times this year gets serious hang time and dominated although was playing against boys. Easily the best to come out of SA for the year so much football awareness it's ridiculous strong hands

 

[4tone]

I'm first in line for a good demon bashing but I can see Melbourne going past the pies in the coming years. Shazza may never make it, Aish overated, Broomhead overated, De Goey is good but not the superstar he's touted, Grundy likewise although still young for a ruck and may come on. Really like Darcy Moore - superstar of the future and better than Daniher for me, and Treloar is a gun but I just don't see the gun midfield needed to win a flag. Cloke and Swan will be cooked soon. It just feels unbalanced.

Oliver (if he comes on and at pick 3 you'd bloody hope so), Viney, Petracca, Brayshaw, Tyson, Jones into Weiderman/Hogan in theory starts looking lethal...

The worm may be finalising it's long and tortuous turn for the long suffering dees fans..

Lets see pick 4 up in coming bulldog pups and put a overrated tag on them, lets say Clay Smith never comes good ' but I'm not wishing the worst for the young bloke", lets say Boyd is not the superstar you dogs fans are hoping for, and lets say the other Boyd, Morris and Murphy are just about done. Your storey is pure fantasy, pure pies hatred. Lets just see how all these kids develop and enjoy the new generation of players stamping their ground. Your post is so arrogant on so many levels its actually funny.

 

[Theo X]

On the Saints board someone brought up a great point about Oliver v Gresham.



Gresham finished 2nd in the Morrish medal by a single vote. In one game he had 33 touches and kicked a goal but was only given 1 vote. If he had've been given 2 votes then he would have been a co-winner. If he picked up all 3 then he would have won it outright and Oliver probably doesn't get anywhere near the same level of hype.

Didn't Oliver win in from 1/2 a season though?

 

[L_W_P]

Didn't Oliver win in from 1/2 a season though?

Clayton Oliver played 16 games for Murray Bushrangers.
Jade Gresham played 13 games for Northern Knights.

Not saying that one is better than the other, just that nobody really took notice of Oliver until the back half of the season and the Morrish medal capped off the late season hype train he had going. Not sure too many people (outside of Melbourne's scouts) really think he is the best midfielder in the draft after Callum Mills but that's how it went on draft night so wait and see I guess.

 

[demondavey]

Francis is such a natural footballer, he will turn out just fine.
Hope Oliver can play, as he is a player I have never actually seen play the game and you guys took the gamble on becoming the better of the 2.

Also the old 'a friend of mine' story was 1st to break the news about Bassett leaving and going to Port, his most hated destination. or what about the Duigan hating on Mick hence leaving carlton.
SANFL have people who actually know things about SA players.

Oh I am glad to know that just because you have not seen him play we have taken a 'gamble'. It might be worth noting that our recruiters have seen him play and decided he was going to be preferable to Francis.

 

[demondavey]

Clayton Oliver played 16 games for Murray Bushrangers.
Jade Gresham played 13 games for Northern Knights.

Not saying that one is better than the other, just that nobody really took notice of Oliver until the back half of the season and the Morrish medal capped off the late season hype train he had going. Not sure too many people (outside of Melbourne's scouts) really think he is the best midfielder in the draft after Callum Mills but that's how it went on draft night so wait and see I guess.

Well they took notice of him when he was fitter and stronger, so he clearly has done the right thing to improve the second half of his season.
I'd say with an AFL pre-season he is going to be a player that will have some impact next year in the AFL or VFL.