2012 Draft Discussion

[theteamtobeat]

Pick 8:
Jonathan O’Rourke (184cm, 76kg)/Jackson Macrae (189cm, 80kg) (in that order)

Pick 24:
I want to get ALEX HOWSON (195cm and 90kg): He kicked 58 goals in 18 matches (3.2 goals per game average) and averaged 4.16 marks per game. The best thing about this guy is, he made his name as a defender in the under 18 carnival, yet he can play both ends of the ground to a high standard. Check his WAFL Stats: http://www.wafl.com.au/players/view/3803

Pick 33:
Andrew Boston (180cm, 76kg)

 

[dlanod]

Out of curiousity, is the reason people want Boston at pick 33 as opposed to other options because he's a Qlder? I'm just thinking back to stellar local selections like Proud, Mills and Hooper where we overrated local lads and have noted that we definitely seem to have moved away from that since Hadley took over.

 

[blueiris]

pick 8 Either one of Wines Plowman or Garlett in that order
pick 24 one of Shaw Smith or Membrey in that order
pick 33 one of O'Brien McBean or White in that order

 

[Grimreepah]

I'm warming to Coulquoon for our 2nd pick.

 

[Bert Man]

I'm warming to Coulquoon for our 2nd pick.

He is a good player, but we already have Docherty, Harwood and Golby. We would be better off getting a tall.

 

[whatboutbob]

Out of curiousity, is the reason people want Boston at pick 33 as opposed to other options because he's a Qlder? I'm just thinking back to stellar local selections like Proud, Mills and Hooper where we overrated local lads and have noted that we definitely seem to have moved away from that since Hadley took over.

I've only seen him play a couple of times, so am miles away from being an expert...but I walked away with a question mark over his ability to win his own ball, especially after the game against Tassie...but perhaps that was just the role he was playing for Qld?

I've seen comments from others saying that he holds his own in that regard. Can someone more familiar with him confirm?

On a related note, I found this comment from Vlastuin interesting:

"All the recruiters are saying if you can't win a one-on-one (contest), you can't play AFL; that's pretty exciting for me," he said.

 

[whatboutbob]

I'm warming to Coulquoon for our 2nd pick.

To play what role?

 

[Grimreepah]

To play what role?

The good football kicking role.

OK, fair point Bert Man and Bob, that we already have a few good options at half back. I'm probably less inclined to pigeon hole players into only one role though.

 

[Offsider]

I've only seen him play a couple of times, so am miles away from being an expert...but I walked away with a question mark over his ability to win his own ball, especially after the game against Tassie...but perhaps that was just the role he was playing for Qld?

I've seen comments from others saying that he holds his own in that regard. Can someone more familiar with him confirm?

I have seen Boston play a fair bit and you are pretty much spot on the question marks are over his inside game. He seems to hang on the edge of the packs waiting for the ball to be given to him, maybe this is a direction from coaching staff to utilise his great disposal and decision making skills, I am not too sure. In saying that he does seem capable of winning his own ball and I have seen him win clearances, just not on a consistent basis. There is no doubt that he is prominently an uncontested player who reads the game really well and has great disposal skills. If we were to pick him up it would be as an outside mid, he worked well in tandem with Conway on a couple of occasions.

Is he worth pick 33? Possibly depending on who is available there, I rate him as an early second rounder and think that his game has a lot more development left in it and with his disposal skills, decision making and his ability to read the game he has the ability to be a very good AFL player. He has shown that he can play effectively as a wing, a half back flank and as a small forward. I like him as a small forward/wing as he has shown the ability to push up the ground find the ball and also proven he can kick goals, he has a couple bags of 6 goals this year for Broadbeach.

 

[irel]

I don't think we are interested in Boston at all. If we wanted him we could easily have put pick 33 on the table to GC and made sure we got him. My belief is the club thinks there are better options with pick 33. So, unless he slips to the rookie draft IMO he is an unlikely target for the Lions.

 

[jackess]

We might have held onto 33 for Martin not believing that Melbourne would accept 53 and 73.

 

[pauldrc]

I don't think we are interested in Boston at all. If we wanted him we could easily have put pick 33 on the table to GC and made sure we got him. My belief is the club thinks there are better options with pick 33. So, unless he slips to the rookie draft IMO he is an unlikely target for the Lions.

Yeah this.

Probably could have got Boston and 57 for 33 as GC wanted pick upgrades.....

 

[jjami15]

Ok, this is for Quigley and Offsider. In relation to Jaksch at 8. First is he really the best at 8 if not where do you see his range. I know that he has come out stating that he plays like Hurley and how does he compare at this stage of their careers. The jungle (BF) drums are beating that we might grab him at 8 and so has Emma Quayle (who I respect). Personally, mildly freaking out we might stretch more for needs than best at that pick.

 

[captainrich]

Ok, this is for Quigley and Offsider. In relation to Jaksch at 8. First is he really the best at 8 if not where do you see his range. I know that he has come out stating that he plays like Hurley and how does he compare at this stage of their careers. The jungle (BF) drums are beating that we might grab him at 8 and so has Emma Quayle (who I respect). Personally, mildly freaking out we might stretch more for needs than best at that pick.

is there a link for emaa quayles draft predictons?

 

[jjami15]

is there a link for emaa quayles draft predictons?

It was more of a comment that she liked Jaksch at 8 for us on SEN.

 

[Offsider]

Ok, this is for Quigley and Offsider. In relation to Jaksch at 8. First is he really the best at 8 if not where do you see his range. I know that he has come out stating that he plays like Hurley and how does he compare at this stage of their careers. The jungle (BF) drums are beating that we might grab him at 8 and so has Emma Quayle (who I respect). Personally, mildly freaking out we might stretch more for needs than best at that pick.

I rate Jaksch quite highly and wouldn't be overly concerned about picking him up at pick 8 depending on who is there. I would say that others would not rate him there. He is a very talented KPF/KPD, great mark, good athleticism (although not great), moves well, has decent skills. His body is a fair way off where it should be and he needs to physically impose himself on the contest more.

I wouldn't compare him to Hurley, Hurley was a strong bodied defender with elite skills, who could shut a player completely down and rebound well, he was considered an average athlete however, and as a forward he had shown decent signs but was more of an unknown quantity. Hurley was also physically imposing and had performed at an elite level in U18 much higher than that of Jaksch.

As it stands my top 10 is:

1. Whitfield
2. Grundy
3. Toumpass
4. Wines
5. Mayes
6. O'Rourke
7. Macrae
8. Stringer
9. Jaksch
10. Daniher (I would have him at 3 in an open draft)

I rate Gartlett a little lower than these guys but not by much, he is very talented but I have a few concerns over his attitude and where he will play, I rate Menzel highly as well but his knee impacts on his draft position only slightly though, I rate Kennedy extremely highly and I think Valustin will be a good player, but perhaps not a very good player. Still the top 15 to 20 prospects are all very good in this years draft.

 

[Simba Moyo]

Love the idea of Stringer at 8. Really grown on him. Appears to have a great attitude with skills to match and would fit in wonderfully at our club

 

[captainrich]

I just get the feeling we should be trying to get a potentially elite player with our top 10 pick rather than a good key position prospect thats why not so keen on Jacksh we can get a kpp with our picks at 24 or 33.

It really shits me off that last year we didnt select at least 1 KPP option with one of our 4 picks instead we took three future halfback flankers...we may not be in such a situation right now where instead of picking a gun mid we are taking a middling forward option (in saying this I'm a huge fan of Yeo, but wearden maybe overkill though he will I hope make me end up looking stupid)

 

[dlanod]

I just get the feeling we should be trying to get a potentially elite player with our top 10 pick rather than a good key position prospect thats why not so keen on Jacksh we can get a kpp with our picks at 24 or 33.

It really shits me off that last year we didnt select at least 1 KPP option with one of our 4 picks instead we took three future halfback flankers...we may not be in such a situation right now where instead of picking a gun mid we are taking a middling forward option (in saying this I'm a huge fan of Yeo, but wearden maybe overkill though he will I hope make me end up looking stupid)

IIRC Docherty played most of his younger years in the midfield, it was only in his U18s year/TAC that he played HBF because they didn't have anywhere else to slot him. It wouldn't surprise me if Yeo was similar. We have a history of phasing our younger mids in through the HBF to give them that defensive experience first up - both of those two I would expect to transition into the midfield. Wearden I have no comment on, haven't seen him play much at all.

I think the question comes down to: what if all the mids that the club rates as guns are gone? Do we look at lesser talents? Depending on who's gone before us, do we roll the dice on players with injury clouds? Attitude problems? Or a solid KPP?

 

[Grimreepah]

Broadly speaking, I would rather take a risk on someone who has injury issues than someone who has attitude issues.

 

[dlanod]

Broadly speaking, I would rather take a risk on someone who has injury issues than someone who has attitude issues.

To steal Offsider's rankings since they're just above and using them to classify the top talents:

Mids: Whitfield, Toumpas, Wines, Mayes (maybe slightly less so than the rest), O'Rourke, Macrae
Surplus to needs: Grundy
Injury history: Stringer, Menzel
Attitude history: Garlett
KPP: Plowman, Jaksch
So it really depends on how the draft falls. If any of the five or six mids in the first list are available, I'd be hoping we take one of them (Mayes is probably the biggest question mark to me). If they're all taken, along with Grundy presumably, then we need to decide which of the other three categories we want to pick from.

 

[jjami15]

Is anyone else slightly annoyed by the Vic centric focus of the draftees on the Herald Suns 'Pick Me' series. To add does anyone know if Afl.com are going to do the draft machine or just do the 30 player count down that they're doing?

 

[Bert Man]

Is anyone else slightly annoyed by the Vic centric focus of the draftees on the Herald Suns 'Pick Me' series. To add does anyone know if Afl.com are going to do the draft machine or just do the 30 player count down that they're doing?

The Herald Sun pick me series only have Victorians and is pisses me off. I really hope the AFL do a draft machine.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Starting to really think Stringer is the man.

 

[jackess]

Starting to really think Stringer is the man.

I think if the medical checks clear his knee of any major lasting effect he'll be gone before us but if there are still question marks we may take the risk.