Review 2025 National Draft Thread | Dovaston #16 / Thredgold #26 / Mikunda #48

[chubbspeterson]

That pick was never that special tbh - more so when you consider how poor our record's been at nailing second round picks since the inception of the draft.

Regardless, Dogs took a kid Jacques with that pick - and of the 10 picks from that pick - only one kid has played a senior game thus far.

Pick 29 has taken on mythical proportions around here.

It's more we chose the deepest draft in quite some time to overpay for Daniel with pick 29.
That pick would've gotten us Mattlock or at the very least Jacklock.
If we kept the F1, we could've used our R1 this year to take a Josh Lindsay who can run and use the ball.
Now if we did the F1 trade and got Mattlock and Tigers R2, and Jacklock with pick 29, I think most could've lived with it.

Even if we traded our F2 for Daniel (currently pick 21, probably ends up 31), a bit more than a F3, then it wouldn't matter so much because most of the better players are tied to other clubs or will be gone by the 21st best available.
Having both Whitlocks and the Tigers R2 or one of them and our R1 to take a Josh Lindsay would've been good, but the trade is done, so best to move on and see what we do with the picks via trade or draft.

 

[chubbspeterson]

We really need to get over the obsession with the draft now. We had our time.

We took about 23 players over the last 4 or 5 years. Some won't make it, but most of them will form the core of the team going forward.

Add guys like Larkey, X, LDU etc to that core (Sheez, Colby, Curtis etc) plus pick a FS and the odd draft pick here and there.

But to make the jump, we should target ready made players to trade for & free agents.

You don't win premierships from just the draft. You win them through trading in good players to fill needs and finding diamonds with late draft picks to compliment the core group of high draft picks.

Tend to agree. Focus will be on trade/FA first and then hit the draft around that.
I think we need two more draft/trade periods to turn over the list of those who haven't worked out.
We've got a collection of young talent that needs development time and it's time to find the role/depth players to build out our list and team via trade/FA and draft.
We'll likely add some more young talent in 2026 with the two F/S's and NGA.
Then 2027 onwards you're probably just taking the odd R1/R2/R3 here and there like Demons did.
I certainly hope we are succession planning on replacing some of the older players and building out the depth chart.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Sharp is a fantastic footballer. Tough, courageous, smart when he goes forward. Likely the type of player we missed out because of Rawlings stupidity.

I'd be staggered if he doesn't go to WCE at #1, #2 or Tigers at #3, so not worried about Sharp.
Josh Lindsay is the one for me that would've been nice to add with our R1, but we could probably pick up one of Barker, LeRay or Farrow and be in a pretty good spot for that wing/hbf role.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

I feel this post is typed through the lense recency bias. Yes, the AFL and VFL results yesterday wasn't great and goes against the largely improvement performances across the board, but I think you're being ultra pessimistic.

Powell improving ever year and BOG in 2 wins this year.
Wardlaw - 2 years too early to be worried or this "stagnant" talk.
BGZ - see Wardlaw comment.
Sheezel - don't need him to be a mid.
Mckercher - full time mid in time
FOS - see Mckercher comment.
We still have Simpkin who's best position is still mid.

After Parker retires, we could still have a midfield of LDU, Jy, Powell, Sheezel, Wardlaw, Mckercher, FOS with Duursma running through there. Maybe Uquhart + Sam Harris if they come good.

Time to use draft picks for other positions and allow the mids we have invested in to develop.

If we're so desperate for better mids, the trade for them because gun mids are available every year.

Nah no recency bias at all. It’s based on the last 2 years of output. It’s being realistic and not just relying on hope.

I rate Powell but imo he isn’t going to be good enough to be a mid in a top 4 side. Poor transition runner, very unaccountable and far too reactive defensively.

If Jy was a an above average midfielder he’d be playing in the guts now. But he isn’t full time because he is a liability defensively and is such a poor decision maker when there is any pressure on.

Wardlaw (who I love btw) hasn’t been able to improve his running capacity at all after 3 pre seasons. There is no top 40-50 midfielder in the comp who has such heavily managed minutes. He’ll get better, but it’s always going to be a balancing act with his soft tissue history and now his concussions.

I’ve seen enough of Duursma across juniors and now his VFL/AFL career to know he’ll never be a full time AFL mid. No tank, poor defensively, no intensity. Part time for spurts maybe but half forward is his go.

FOS and Kerch have a tonne of upside potential but again, don’t see them as full time stoppage midfielders. FOS struggles to find enough of the footy, he isn’t a natural accumulator.

Ideally I’d be keeping FOS/Kerch on the wings and Sheezel forward of centre to maximising their damage and link up play on the outside.
Which again highlights that we are still skinny for genuine two way midfielders.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

We really need to get over the obsession with the draft now. We had our time.

We took about 23 players over the last 4 or 5 years. Some won't make it, but most of them will form the core of the team going forward.

Add guys like Larkey, X, LDU etc to that core (Sheez, Colby, Curtis etc) plus pick a FS and the odd draft pick here and there.

But to make the jump, we should target ready made players to trade for & free agents.

You don't win premierships from just the draft. You win them through trading in good players to fill needs and finding diamonds with late draft picks to compliment the core group of high draft picks.

While I’d love for that to be the priority and to happen, I think it’s unrealistic. We just aren’t a place that established players in their prime are going to be interested in coming to.

Have a look at how many top tier players we’ve tried to target over the years and none of them have ended up playing for us. We aren’t going to be like Geelong or Collingwood who can attract the best FA’s and players who are out of contract or in free agency.

IMO, being a smaller, less attractive club, the best way to get high end talent in the door is through the draft. We just need to get better at picking them and subsequently developing them.

 

[chubbspeterson]

We need better players all over the joint. Half back, wing, midfield, small forward and key forward.

Only spots we are seemingly okay depth wise is mid sized forwards, ruck and developing key defenders.

Despite all the picks our midfield is shit.

LDU the only lock.
Powell is inconsistent and unaccountable
Wardlaw has concerningly stagnated and he can’t run out a game.
Parker is 32+ y.o
Phillips isn’t going to drive us to forward
Sheezel isn’t a sure bet to be a full time mid.
Duursma same as above.

Agree we need better players all over the field, but it doesn't necessarily have to be more high end picks.
You can only have a certain number of elite talents in the salary cap.
I think we need to give the midfield time to grow together in some respects and add some more transition 2-way running into the mix with our R2's hopefully.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Agree we need better players all over the field, but it doesn't necessarily have to be more high end picks.
You can only have a certain number of elite talents in the salary cap.
I think we need to give the midfield time to grow together in some respects and add some more transition 2-way running into the mix with our R2's hopefully.

That’s fair mate, as I said though I just don’t think the midfield is the finished product that others think it is. I think our form this year more than proves that it’s not up to.

Like you, I’d keen on a few those more outside runners like Barker, LeRay, Farrow ect. At least they can play a variety of roles between wing and half back.

 

[ToxicMegaPunts]

Nah no recency bias at all. It’s based on the last 2 years of output. It’s being realistic and not just relying on hope.

I rate Powell but imo he isn’t going to be good enough to be a mid in a top 4 side. Poor transition runner, very unaccountable and far too reactive defensively.

If Jy was a an above average midfielder he’d be playing in the guts now. But he isn’t full time because he is a liability defensively and is such a poor decision maker when there is any pressure on.

Wardlaw (who I love btw) hasn’t been able to improve his running capacity at all after 3 pre seasons. There is no top 40-50 midfielder in the comp who has such heavily managed minutes. He’ll get better, but it’s always going to be a balancing act with his soft tissue history and now his concussions.

I’ve seen enough of Duursma across juniors and now his VFL/AFL career to know he’ll never be a full time AFL mid. No tank, poor defensively, no intensity. Part time for spurts maybe but half forward is his go.

FOS and Kerch have a tonne of upside potential but again, don’t see them as full time stoppage midfielders. FOS struggles to find enough of the footy, he isn’t a natural accumulator.

Ideally I’d be keeping FOS/Kerch on the wings and Sheezel forward of centre to maximising their damage and link up play on the outside.
Which again highlights that we are still skinny for genuine two way midfielders.

Need to try and prise Flanders out of GC end of this year, and throw crazy stupid money at Butters next year.

 

[hilly]

That pick was never that special tbh - more so when you consider how poor our record's been at nailing second round picks since the inception of the draft.

Yeah. We should try and get better at that.

 

[King Hansen]

While I’d love for that to be the priority and to happen, I think it’s unrealistic. We just aren’t a place that established players in their prime are going to be interested in coming to.

Have a look at how many top tier players we’ve tried to target over the years and none of them have ended up playing for us. We aren’t going to be like Geelong or Collingwood who can attract the best FA’s and players who are out of contract or in free agency.

IMO, being a smaller, less attractive club, the best way to get high end talent in the door is through the draft. We just need to get better at picking them and subsequently developing them.

Just start winning and the good players will come.

Agree we definitely find it hard to get them, but that's partly because we've been a basketcase for a decade. How did we get Higgins? And going back, how did we get Colbert? Grant? Weren't we still a unpopular club back then?

 

[chubbspeterson]

That’s fair mate, as I said though I just don’t think the midfield is the finished product that others think it is. I think our form this year more than proves that it’s not up to.

Like you, I’d keen on a few those more outside runners like Barker, LeRay, Farrow ect. At least they can play a variety of roles between wing and half back.

No doubt it's been inconsistent and is not the finished product.
We're built for stoppage/clearance for the most part and could use some size, height, 2-way transition running and elite ball use in our mid/wing/hbf mix. There is scope to add FOS, Colby and Hardemann perhaps.
Given we'll add Harris in 2026 and have some contracts to resolve, I think there is scope for change if we need to change the composition of the list in certain areas. There will always be midfielders in R1 we can add down the line.

 

[giantroo]

Haggas rolling mock draft

 

[Chip Scab1]

Haggas rolling mock draft

View attachment 2357964

Happy with Ludes, but if we were to overlook Dovaston with our 2nd & Taylor with our 3rd, I'd be Westgate-bound.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Happy with Ludes, but if we were to overlook Dovaston with our 2nd & Taylor with our 3rd, I'd be Westgate-bound.

I said the exact same thing in the draft discussion thread.

If we could walk away with Ludowyke, Dovaston and Taylor it would be a bloody good result.

 

[Chip Scab1]

I said the exact same thing in the draft discussion thread.

If we could walk away with Ludowyke, Dovaston and Taylor it would be a bloody good result.

Sorry for cutting your lunch (I didn't see your post) - but yep. I'd have new found respect for Rawling/fursfields if that were to eventuate.

What chance do you think Cody Curtain falls to that pick(~19)? As (from limited viewing admittedly) he looks like someone we can put in the pouch and use at either of the ground when required!?

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Sorry for cutting your lunch (I didn't see your post) - but yep. I'd have new found respect for Rawling/fursfields if that were to eventuate.

What chance do you think Cody Curtain falls to that pick(~19)? As (from limited viewing admittedly) he looks like someone we can put in the pouch and use at either of the ground when required!?

Haha, all good mate, just two smart fellas who’s opinion aligns

I reckon Curtin will be around the mark at our picks as they stand. He hasn’t set the world on fire at the champs so far, but his Colts form suggests there is plenty to work with. With his build (he is a solid lump of a lad already) I expected him to have more of an impact at the champs.

 

[ToxicMegaPunts]

Happy with Ludes, but if we were to overlook Dovaston with our 2nd & Taylor with our 3rd, I'd be Westgate-bound.

See you up there!

Also

Ludes = The Quaa

 

[kool kangas]

Need to try and prise Flanders out of GC end of this year, and throw crazy stupid money at Butters next year.

Dont really want Flanders but l agree with getting Butters maybe even this year....$$$$$$$

 

[Chip Scab1]

See you up there!

Also

Ludes = The Quaa

Good Afternoon Jordan!

 

[giantroo]

 

[The Talent Scout]

Riley Onley with 22 disposals at 3/4 time in the match Vic country vs the Allies, like the look of Archie Taylor and Tairon Ah-Mu has gone okay, Josh Lindsay has struggled, Jesse Mellor with 3.3 from 15 disposals was a danger anytime the ball went into the Country forward line, Vic Country beat the Allies by 12 points on the final siren, Ah-Mu also kicked 3 goals spending some time in the ruck in that last quarter.

 

[LB2Snake]

Ah-Mu too big and too strong. 6 marks for the game and kicks his 2nd.

He has a huge waist and legs, going to be a Tom Hawkins like presence once he fills out. Will be hard to shift.

We will choose the 189cm half forward then watch him go next pick.

 

[giantroo]

 

[The Talent Scout]

Vic Metro too good for W.A, another scrappy game but some good chains from Vic Metro, Greeves best on ground, other players that I was impressed with, Vic Metro: Lachy Dovaston with 2.3 including running into an open goal from twenty meters out in the last minute of play to miss it somehow, Aaron Sharkie was everywhere at times, Xavier Taylor was okay in defence, Max Kondogiannis in his unnatural position on the backline played well, Cooper Duff Tytler was just okay, played better in the ruck, was held goal less when on the forward line and is going to be a slow burn.

For Western Australia: Fred Rodriguez was okay without being outstanding with 23 disposals, Sam Swadling & Adam Sweid were okay on a blustery day.
Wes Walley with just the 5 disposals, kicked 0.2, was well held throughout the day. Archie Ludowyke with 4 disposals for the match. This years AFL national draft is going to be a real head scratcher for recruiters on where they prioritise certain players & draft rankings will no doubt show vast differences in opinion between now and November. OUR CURRENT PICKS OF 20, 21, 39 and 57 may or may not change between now and November but I feel with so much uncertainty on this years draft class, our picks are very much in the sweet spot.

 

[andana]

another scrappy game

That's a difficult oval to play when it's windy since they removed the buildings and banks to make it a lovely community park and dog dunny.
Can buy a frappachino though.