Game Day The 2025 Draft Day Thread

[UseR2006]

And a song to sing as we watch,

Hey Matty Clarke by Kevin (Random260) Wilson :

Hey Matty Clarke you campaigner, where the **** is Sharp
I’ve looked at all these other spuds and there’s no one that I like
I wrote you a ****ing letter and posted about it twice
You dopey ****ing Richmond fart, you forgot my ****ing Sharp

If I wanted a stupid ruckman type, I would’ve bloody asked
And this half back flank and temu mid, you can shove right up your arse
You’ve stuffed the bloody order up, it’s enough to make you spew
But it’s not just me who’s snakey, SGIO is dirty too

Next time I come to see ya, I’m going to punch you in the guts
And I’ll sack the other recruiting knobs and kick Toddy in the nuts
You just wait 'til next year when you go back to the draft
And me and me little GIO come stomping through the door
And we'll say, yeah, you wait for it

Hey Pyke and Woosh you smell his breath
And check his bloodshot eyes
And don't listen to him eagles fans 'cause he tells ****ing lies
He's just a ****ing useless campaigner and he's not even very bright
'Cause the stupid ****in' w***er, forgot me ****in' Sharp

Hey Matty Clarke you campaigner, where the **** is Sharp
I’ve looked at all these other spuds and there’s no one that I like
I wrote you a ****ing letter and posted about it twice
You dopey ****ing Richmond fart, you forgot my ****ing Sharp

A Quick Ai rendition: https://suno.com/s/blQP3cSnulhqYb5g
It's funny how it interrupted the lyrics XD

 

[Bacchus]

I doubt they didn’t consider the possibility that there’d be bids on other than just Williams. It’s just that they decided that if there was, they wouldn’t be putting themselves in a position to match - I don’t agree with that but to think there was an assumption they’d get through I think is wrong. I do think they hoped they’d get through

To be clear, I’m not defending the decision as I think Cripps should be on the rookie list and at least Banfield on the main list as of now but it’s clear it was a decision to bring no more than 5 players onto the main list through the draft.

Allen was ranked higher than all of our club tied players so we drafted him and Williams was the highest ranked so he was the one we matched

Well, you live or die by how you rank players. Currently, we’re dying.

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

No, I think they knew they were gambling.

And they lost! Again!

Evans knew they weren’t taking him, and only lukewarm interest was expressed for Banfield.

I would assume just like the rest of us (Evans/Banfield) fans, they were also hoping that we would drop some players to the rookie list. May not be nice those players perhaps, but the reality is that was the only way the club could match bids on all the NGA/FS.

So when it didn't happen, they had to reassess their situation considering there was interest in them from other teams.

Unfortunately the club weren't fussed about missing out on their club-tied players bar Williams. They didn't rate them highly enough as they were only willing to add them as rookies.

 

[mattyc75]

Well if they were looking at another delisted player for that purpose then they may as well do it right and get Tom Mitchell who will be able to provide some real leadership and experience and even play a role at times in our AFL team than another fringe never been...

Hope not, we've got 3 mids with experience on our rookie list now. If you want to give Mitchell a coaching gig sure but having 4 on the rookie list is a waste of spots

 

[garlic munchers]

C-

Have to agree with ESPN's assessment.

The draft is not just about who you pick on the day, its the list management leading into it (i.e. Swans).

We continue to be a shambles, surviving like the blind squirrel that eventually finds a nut.

Couldn't move Cripps to rookie list because we needed Schoenberg to add to the delisted Robertson and cut Macrae.... Really?????

Upside?

Keeping the shambles train rolling along, means we keep earning through all our 'hard' work at being shambolic, lots of well earnt early draft picks and we should (could) (maybe) ultimately improve despite the moron brigade that runs our club.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Keeping the shambles train rolling along, means we keep earning through all our 'hard' work at being shambolic, lots of well earnt early draft picks and we should (could) (maybe) ultimately improve despite the moron brigade that runs our club.

Worked for Melbourne eventually before the wheels fell off again

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

The club clearly had a strategy that included rating Barnett and an old has been train on player higher than these players, and if the last 5 years have taught us anything, it's that the club's strategy is sound and working wonders

Can't have too many 18 year olds in the team.
Tbf they've only become obsessed with raising the list's age profile since the 2024 off season.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Can't have too many 18 year olds in the team.
Tbf they've only become obsessed with raising the list's age profile since the 2024 off season.

I would have thought you can't have too many spuds either but here we are

 

[ghostbat12]

Its not about player x.

Its about putting ourselves into a position where we dont have any control or choice on matching players late and players who we spent years developing or a father son in a position of need.

Obviously other clubs rated our nga's and father son. We basically said, if you rate players we have priority access to you can have them.

We put retaining old veterans and struggling fringe players ahead of our future.

Piss poor planning results in piss poor outcomes. We looked like amateurs last night.

you are arguing over fringe players and staking that future is all about 1-2 fringe players at best. Aren't you a little overplaying what happened? you do realise we picked up 5 players in the draft yeh?

you would think Harley Reid was passed over with the carry on.

 

[ghostbat12]

I would have thought you can't have too many spuds either but here we are

in your view. and yet coaches would have recommended persisting them with 1 more year.

 

[BeornJ]

Looking forward to hopefully hearing the following during a game next year:

"Williams wins the tap down to Allan, who find Williams with a kick down the wing. Williams handballs off to Allen who takes off and.... hits Williams lace out!"

 

[Jukes]

What sort of player is Walley? Any player comparison?

Seems a no brainer to add him as a Cat B rookie given there’s no other option and it’s a “free hit”?

 

[ghostbat12]

Have to agree with ESPN's assessment.

The draft is not just about who you pick on the day, its the list management leading into it (i.e. Swans).

We continue to be a shambles, surviving like the blind squirrel that eventually finds a nut.

Couldn't move Cripps to rookie list because we needed Schoenberg to add to the delisted Robertson and cut Macrae.... Really?????

Upside?

Keeping the shambles train rolling along, means we keep earning through all our 'hard' work at being shambolic, lots of well earnt early draft picks and we should (could) (maybe) ultimately improve despite the moron brigade that runs our club.

I don't. You walk away with best 2 player and a C? You want to give them a C because of latter picks who are extremely likely to be fringe list cloggers.

I'd give them A. Resisted the romance and went with who they thought was best. You can't have integrity in what you do if you make decisions based on what's best for Bigfooty.

On trade for Josh Lindsay, heard Clarke say him, Duff and CDT are best mates. if thats what it took to keep them together, then it's potentially something that will pay off in long term.

We don't know if Hawks were going to take him OR trade their pick to someone else. It was clear Dogs were chasing that sort of player and saints 2nd trumps dogs 2nd.

 

[Obeanie1]

you are arguing over fringe players and staking that future is all about 1-2 fringe players at best. Aren't you a little overplaying what happened? you do realise we picked up 5 players in the draft yeh?

you would think Harley Reid was passed over with the carry on.

Reality is you need to turn over 15 to 20 players to find a gem. McCarthy the perfect exanple.

Instead we retained Cole and Cripps on 1 yr deals on the main list when they could have been moved without any fuss.

We could have redrafted them late like GWS did with Stringer after securing the nga's we rated.

Time will tell what we missed out on.

Lets see if we use pick 1 in the rookie draft on a BOB or Rodreguez.

 

[KERRPOW]

This rating is spot on. Despite, the trio of quality picks on day 1, the ridiculous trade to move up one spot, and not leaving enough spots for Evans & Banfield meaning we lost both, makes it a very mixed draft performance for us.

If they didn't lose the F2, still got Lindsay and were able to match bids on 1 or both Evans and Banfield. It would've been close to an A. These decisions are indefensible. Being an Eagles fans doesn't mean accepting everything they do as Gospel, or sweeping it under the rug. This guy from ESPN gets it and is calling it out.

Grading every club's selections at the AFL Draft

The 2025 AFL Draft has been run, but which team won? ESPN's draft expert Jasper Chellappah has cast his eye over every club and handed down a grade. Who takes out the lone A+?

www.espn.com.au

"What followed was a bizarre combination of events. The Eagles traded St Kilda's future second rounder (via the Liam Ryan deal) to Hawthorn to move up a solitary spot late in the first round. They then bid twice on Gold Coast prospects Jai Murray and Beau Addinsall, but failed to land either as the Suns had traded in the points to match. It meant West Coast settled on Josh Lindsay who the Hawks were set to overlook and wasted a second round pick.

The AFL's draft assistance package to the Eagles involved additional rookie list spots for their club-tied talent. The only problem? Only one of them (Wes Walley) made it through the national draft to be of use to West Coast. It meant that the club not cutting deep enough into their list led to them missing out on the talents of Evans and Banfield.

This feels like a monumental **** up by list management.

 

[amazingjoshy]

I don't. You walk away with best 2 player and a C? You want to give them a C because of latter picks who are extremely likely to be fringe list cloggers.

I'd give them A. Resisted the romance and went with who they thought was best. You can't have integrity in what you do if you make decisions based on what's best for Bigfooty.

On trade for Josh Lindsay, heard Clarke say him, Duff and CDT are best mates. if thats what it took to keep them together, then it's potentially something that will pay off in long term.

We don't know if Hawks were going to take him OR trade their pick to someone else. It was clear Dogs were chasing that sort of player and saints 2nd trumps dogs 2nd.

Reality is grading a draft the day after the draft is probably the most futile thing in all of afl, which is saying something.

On face value, I don't think anything in the comments of the ESPN article is unfair.

 

[ghostbat12]

Reality is you need to turn over 15 to 20 players to find a gem. McCarthy the perfect exanple.

Instead we retained Cole and Cripps on 1 yr deals on the main list when they could have been moved without any fuss.

We could have redrafted them late like GWS did with Stringer after securing the nga's we rated.

Time will tell what we missed out on.

Lets see if we use pick 1 in the rookie draft on a BOB or Rodreguez.

ah so this is what its about. the loss of self stroking that goes on living in hope for a gem to be found. not role players. gems only please.

sure list turnover is important but ideally not with picks in late 40s/50s. calm down.

 

[Big_Birdy]

Do people not realise the ESPN reporter is just a random nuffy who is purely speculating?

 

[Weshi]

Well, you live or die by how you rank players. Currently, we’re dying.

Based on?

 

[BeornJ]

Reality is grading a draft the day after the draft is probably the most futile thing in all of afl, which is saying something.

On face value, I don't think anything in the comments of the ESPN article is unfair.

Also, it's not like all the teams who have lately clearly 'won' the draft have translated that into success.

 

[ghostbat12]

Reality is grading a draft the day after the draft is probably the most futile thing in all of afl, which is saying something.

On face value, I don't think anything in the comments of the ESPN article is unfair.

only if moving 1 spot for 2nd round is taken on face value without full knowledge of circumstances. I think he is guessing there unless someone has more info.

 

[Mulldogg]

What sort of player is Walley? Any player comparison?

Seems a no brainer to add him as a Cat B rookie given there’s no other option and it’s a “free hit”?

Strikes me as a poor man’s Tyler Brockman and let’s face it, the rich man’s Brockman isn’t even a proven AFL best 23 player 4 or 5 seasons into his career.

Clearly the worst performed of our NGA/father son prospects in his draft year hence why he didn’t attract a bid.

 

[Cursedsword02]

Also, it's not like all the teams who have lately clearly 'won' the draft have translated that into success.

Case in point: Essendon's 8, 9, 10 in '20.

 

[EaglesOz]

Great summary.
You don't happen to write for ESPN by any chance?

They gave us a C minus this morning.

Not at all, just my footy fan read of it. Been in mid range sales/negotiation/strategy for a while though, nothing special or high up, yet it feels miles ahead of what the Eagles are dishing up now.

I follow other sporting organisations quite a bit (not necessarily the sport), like Boston Celtics and Real Madrid, and seeing what they do as businesses to always stay ahead of the curve.

My last comment about a sign on fee (within the cap), is just one innovation that i think will make its way into the AFL over the next few years. Real Madrid has been doing that for a few years now because the previous model had worn out. Different sport but we can adopt the same strategy, and be the first to it.

 

[BeornJ]

Case in point: Essendon's 8, 9, 10 in '20.

Yeah, Essendon are amazing performers on Draft Night's.

Undefeated really

 

[LewyBroome]

What sort of player is Walley? Any player comparison?

Seems a no brainer to add him as a Cat B rookie given there’s no other option and it’s a “free hit”?

Brockman