AFL Player # 2: Sam Draper - Back in the side against Sydney for 10 hitouts and a goal - 24/3

02 - draper.jpg

Contract Status: Out of contract 2025
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BrunoV

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He was beaten by Nic Nat but I couldn't help but think he'd be matching Nic Nat as a 23-25 year old with 50 games under his belt and something close to his physical capacity.

Nic Nat wasn't really jumping over Draper as he does with other rucks, even guys who are taller than him. Neither was Bailey Williams, for that matter, and Williams is supposed to have tested with a better vertical leap than Nic Nat.

Draper also seemed to be able to match him at around the ground. He seemed to have the better of the boundary thrown ins.

We really have no idea about Drapers physical testing and can only really work it out by comparing him with his opponents. He definitely does not have the explosive burst of Nic Nat, we might not see anything at Nic Nat's level and size again for a long time, but he also doesn't seem to be that far behind. He's a pretty spectacular athlete as far as I can tell - it did not stand out as much in the VFL slogs he was playing.

What I really took from last night is that Draper is going to be even better than I though he was (and I already thought he'd be one of the premier ruckmen in the game for the majority of his career).
 
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Wasn’t embarrassed though. One of NicNats quieter games for the year & did better against him than players like Grundy & Mumford did.
Agreed. Love him all the same
 

BrunoV

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According to AFL . Com, nic nat had a dominant display... Maybe he did have a few clearances but drapes held his own


It's fair enough. That burst of 4 or 5 goals basically set up the win and Nic Nat dominated that part of the game.

He's a burst player. It takes the likes of Grundy and Gawn almost twice the amount of time it takes Nic Nat to have the same impact.
 
He was beaten by Nic Nat but I couldn't help but think he'd be matching Nic Nat as a 23-25 year old with 50 games under his belt and something close to his physical capacity.

Nic Nat wasn't really jumping over Draper as he does with other rucks, even guys who are taller than him. Neither was Bailey Williams, for that matter, and Williams is supposed to have tested with a better vertical leap than Nic Nat.

Draper also seemed to be able to match him at around the ground. He seemed to have the better of the boundary thrown ins.

We really have no idea about Drapers physical testing and can only really work it out by comparing him with his opponents. He definitely does not have the explosive burst of Nic Nat, we might not see it again for a long time, but he also doesn't seem to be that far behind.

All I really took from last night is that Draper is going to be even better than I though he was (and I already thought he'd be one of the premier ruckmen in the game for the majority of his career).

I was actually impressed we managed to limit the centre clearance dominance across 4 quarters, they won the game with that early but then for most of the rest of the game we held even with them, and they are the best team in the comp at getting them and scoring from them.

We are actually starting to have a pretty nice centre clearance game ourselves which is a positive, the pieces are there.

One thing i was surprised by was how much he pushed NicNat around at times, and his physicality when he got in the wrestle with NicNat i kind of felt that after that NicNat wasn't the dominant force he was early, so if nothing else he wore him down lol.
 
Wasn’t embarrassed though. One of NicNats quieter games for the year & did better against him than players like Grundy & Mumford did.
Absolutely. Still, got beaten by the probable AA ruck for this year, which is pretty great.

Had more hitouts to advantage than NN too, a feat within itself.
 

blitzer

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Once you have the base height and general ability, the most important attribute by far for a ruck is competitiveness. He's simply got that will to compete. Doesn't get overawed.
Its hard not to see him being a very good player for a long time injuries permitting.
 
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