Resource 2025 AFL Draft prospects and discussion.

[Mutineer]

The Crows still have a vacant list spot. We could have taken any of those you named in the main draft if we rated them highly enough.

I can't see the point in having an empty list spot going into next season when taking on a rookie at chump change is an option.

We have plenty of intel on mature age players already that we'd look at as SSP options.

 

[Thylacinus]

I can't see the point in having an empty list spot going into next season when taking on a rookie at chump change is an option.

We have plenty of intel on mature age players already that we'd look at as SSP options.

So we obviously didn't rate them highly enough or else we would have taken one of them with a third pick in the national draft.

 

[Mutineer]

So we obviously didn't rate them highly enough or else we would have taken one of them with a third pick in the national draft.

A National Draft selection for our 3rd pick would be a 2 year contract, a rookie selection is a 1 year contract while we evaluate them?

 

[Thylacinus]

A National Draft selection for our 3rd pick would be a 2 year contract, a rookie selection is a 1 year contract while we evaluate them?

By waiting until our selection in the rookie draft we would have a diminished pool to pick from. If we really rated one of the players available we would have taken them in the main draft.

 

[Big Dub]

No, you put your best mobile ruck who can have an impact around the ground and kick goals and set up play from everywhere into the middle for significant bursts if you have excellent forwards who will enable this transition!

If your best forward is also your best mobile ruck, the answer isn't to send him to ruck. It's to bring in a mobile ruck. Or make do with what rucks you have.

I'd rather send Mailey to centre bounces than Thilthorpe.

 

[Thylacinus]

If your best forward is also your best mobile ruck, the answer isn't to send him to ruck. It's to bring in a mobile ruck. Or make do with what rucks you have.

I'd rather send Mailey to centre bounces than Thilthorpe.

I think you may have missed this part of my post....'if you have excellent forwards who will enable this transition'; and perhaps this recent post of mine also...'Not if we develop another tall forward who can kick 50-60 plus goals a season, supplement by others who can kick 40 plus each'.

 

[StonesThrow]

Quite a few decent mids have gone late/rookie or been overlooked entirely in their draft year to get a shot the next year or as mature agers, I hardly see where being rated higher early is relevant. Nobody outside of the recruiters and list management really know where players are rated coming into the season other than the really outstanding talents like Daicos, Reid etc.

My point is that people get confused when player x slid so far or didn't get drafted (but was supposedly highly rated) and there's almost always a reason for it.

 

[Golumless]

I find the subsequent narrative behind the Ollie Greeves pick perplexing.
Reading some of the comments about his future potential is baffling and he's been written off by some already .
Before the draft many phantom drafts had him in the top 30 and if his name had been called with our second pick we would have all been happy with this selection.
If we had taken him in the rookie draft our posters would have said he was the steal the draft.
I understand Curtin is being touted as our future big bodied midfielder so Greeves wasn't a necessity but if we hadn't committed to Welsh I'm sure Greeves name would have been called in a split second.
Taking Greeves at Pick 11 in the rookie draft is a can't lose scenario. If he succeeds , what a steal, if he doesn't succeed it cost bugger all to find out.
His highlights show a fine footballer perhaps lacking real pace but Hawthorn did well to select him. I wish he was on our list to explore his abilities or lack of.

We actually know that we wouldn't have picked Greeves if we didn't already commit to Welsh, due to the fact we could have selected Greeves and chose not too.

We had two list spots open, not one. We had the option to pick Greeves and valued having no one on our list above it.

 

[Golumless]

Not if we develop another tall forward who can kick 50-60 plus goals a season, supplement by others who can kick 40 plus each.

So providing we find another generational key forward (or close too as a player) and a solid supporting cast...

 

[Big Dub]

How we lost the midfield battle in our finals games is interesting.

Against Collingwood, we lost the centre clearances by 2 (30-32), won stoppage clearances by 4 (25-21), won inside 50s by 1 (50-49), lost marks inside 50 by 3 (13-16) and lost goal efficiency by 6.4% (8 from 50 v 11 from 49). We lost turnovers by 14 (78-64).

Which sounds like our centre bounce mids weren't quite as good at getting our hands on the ball as theirs, but our back up mids were better than theirs. Where we really died was in ball delivery, particularly to our forwards.

Against the Hawks, we lost the centre clearances by 4 (30-36), lost stoppage clearances by 2 (20-22), lost inside 50s by 21 (43-64), lost marks inside 50 by 11 (6-17) and won goal efficiency by 1.4% (10 from 43 v 14 from 64). We lost turnovers by 14 (77-63).

Which sounds like our centre bounce mids and back up mids weren't quite as good at getting our hands on the ball as the Hawks. Our inside 50 conversion improved, but we couldn't get it in their enough because our ball delivery outside 50 killed us.


So, we do need a little bit more inside grunt to compete against the best. But where we really catch up is if we use the ball better.

Optically only, in game one we blasted the ball forward without looking to hit targets, in game two we were outpaced in the midfield and too hesitant in moving the ball forward (ie overreacted to week 1) and the opposition could get back and defend our targets.

I think natural progression (and Rankine back) help us enough for getting our hands on the ball. Class and speed around the ball is what we need to fix the rest (plus a crumbing forward).

I think that we will be very competitive if, by the end of next season, our best mids in order are:

1. Dawson
2. Rankine
3. Soligo
4. Curtin
5. Draper
6. Peatling/ Dowling/ Rachele/ Berry

with Rankine in our forward 50 whenever Rachele isn't.

If we are going to trial some mids for the SSP, pace and class has to be the option. Mature age options seem sensible if we are going for a fix now, otherwise BOB seems like someone who could fit the bill in time.

 

[Big Dub]

I think you may have missed this part of my post....'if you have excellent forwards who will enable this transition'; and perhaps this recent post of mine also...'Not if we develop another tall forward who can kick 50-60 plus goals a season, supplement by others who can kick 40 plus each'.

But that's not realistic. There are 8 players who kicked 50 or more goals this year. We're not going to have 2 of them.

And if we did, I'd keep them both forward.

No mobile ruck is worth giving up 60 goals for.

 

[Mostyn]

Surely we'd already have enough intel already on say Tom Blamires and Harry Scott or any other mature agers for that matter.

Why would we have more on Blamires than BOB? Neither have been full-time in a fully professional program. I'd get them both in for preseason, and choose the best as a SSP

 

[WaynesWorld19]

My point is that people get confused when player x slid so far or didn't get drafted (but was supposedly highly rated) and there's almost always a reason for it.

Correct .....logically, can all 18 Clubs be wrong, or of the same thinking, with multiple picks.

That said .....we've seen enough mature age players, who went undrafted, get picked up years later .....either having matured physically, mentally, or having worked on their deficiencies at a state league level

 

[Draft Bored]

I personally can't see Hollands happening. The risk vs reward is fine for me with the pre-season confirmation before signing. Just seems so un-crow like.

They must have someone in mind though with how they've approached the draft.

 

[AndrewJo]

I personally can't see Hollands happening. The risk vs reward is fine for me with the pre-season confirmation before signing. Just seems so un-crow like.

They must have someone in mind though with how they've approached the draft.

What about Tom Lewis as a top up player? Love his journey to overcome huge problems to play SANFL and win the medal.

 

[hugecannon]

Not if we develop another tall forward who can kick 50-60 plus goals a season, supplement by others who can kick 40 plus each.

In the clubs entire history how many players have kicked over 60 goals in a season?

They don’t come along very often , when you get one keep them where they are most dangerous.

Where do you think the opposition want to see TT? In the ruck or at FF?

 

[DaKids]

In the clubs entire history how many players have kicked over 60 goals in a season?

They don’t come along very often , when you get one keep them where they are most dangerous.

Where do you think the opposition want to see TT? In the ruck or at FF?

He kicked those 60 while still spending plenty of time up the ground. How many goals did he create taking contested marks on the wing and spreading the play.

You lot are ignoring that he already is a forward that plays all over the ground.

Fancy being gifted a generational player and wanting to sit him in the goal square haha

 

[Danger in Texas]

He kicked those 60 while still spending plenty of time up the ground. How many goals did he create taking contested marks on the wing and spreading the play.

You lot are ignoring that he already is a forward that plays all over the ground.

Fancy being gifted a generational player and wanting to sit him in the goal square haha

This is true, his versatility across the ground is incredibly elite and valuable, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be seen as primarily a forward

 

[Cromulant]

What about Tom Lewis as a top up player? Love his journey to overcome huge problems to play SANFL and win the medal.

If ever there was a year for him its this one

 

[crowutopia]

I wouldn't be too sure about that midfielders Fred Rodriguez pick 1(West Coast), Riley Onley pick 3 (Melbourne) taken well before Ollie Greeves pick 12 (Hawthorn) in the rookie draft. Both quicker more agile and seriously better runners.
I wouldn't have been happy taking Greeves while Onley and Rodriguez were still on the board and for that matter local lad Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier.

I wouldn't mind BOB and Hollands training against each other for the DSP spot if that's possible? Although I do like Taj Murray as well

 

[Huntercrow]

All things considered, i am quite ok with this trade and draft period outcome. Marsh looks a very promising forward / wing type. Ludowyke is a project player for the longer term big key forward post and if his emotion is anything to go by at getting drafted, he will make it as a player as he seems determined. Ah Chee is a great get as he raises the floor of our side and indie cotton is another for the future. But that not only did we keep our entire 2026 draft hand, we added what could be a very early 3rd rounder to it which is a great result.

This.

Also, no one requested to be traded out...... again.

The fact that Petracca approached us (even if we had no hope competing with the Suns)

 

[crowutopia]

Not if we develop another tall forward who can kick 50-60 plus goals a season, supplement by others who can kick 40 plus each.

Filthy can't be replaced that easily, if he keeps developing he could well be an 80 + goal kicker per year.

 

[Fud#3]

Wonder if Jayden Stephenson is on our radar. Currently living with Mark Keane I read on the Port board

 

[crowutopia]

Why wouldn't Zac harding be a consideration?
High leaping athletic overage ruck that dominated the Coates Talent League and dominated the ruck for Vic Country at the Nationals. Arguably should have been the AA ruck at the Nationals over Sam Ainsworth, age probably got Ainsworth over the line plus SA winning the comp?

Taj Murray or Zac Harding for you if given the choice?

 

[dplggr47]

Wonder if Jayden Stephenson is on our radar. Currently living with Mark Keane I read on the Port board

He's training with Port Adelaide