Draft Review 2016 - Revisiting the 2016 AFL Draft

[SterlingArcher]

West Coast drafter Glass in '99, Kerr in 2000 and Judd and Cox in 2001. That's a superior quartet to the aforementioned.

Yeah but add in Corey, Chapman, Enright, Ling in 99 to the Johnson, Ablett, Bartel, Kelly 01 draft over 3 years mate...it wasn't 4 v 4, it was drafting over 3 years and Cata got 8 genuine A-grade players.

 

[SterlingArcher]

I dont think so, no. Taberner should be the one who misses out IMO. Cox, Hogan with Lobb as the part time ruck. 4 of them is way too tall, especially given Taberner provides literally no defensive pressure and Lobb very little

With Cox injured do you run with Tabs, Hogan and Lobb, with Darcy number 1 ruck? Where does McCarthy sit?

 

[Pulsedriver]

Yeah but add in Corey, Chapman, Enright, Ling in 99 to the Johnson, Ablett, Bartel, Kelly 01 draft over 3 years mate...it wasn't 4 v 4, it was drafting over 3 years and Cata got 8 genuine A-grade players.

That wasn't what was posed of which I was responding to. He mentioned 4 players in 3 years, so I responded based on that. He said nothing of 8 players over 3 years.

 

[Ambrosia]

That wasn't what was posed of which I was responding to. He mentioned 4 players in 3 years, so I responded based on that. He said nothing of 8 players over 3 years.

4 players one year.

 

[Pulsedriver]

4 players one year.

Kanga stated (of which I responded to): "Not to mention Geelong 2001: Bartel, Kelly, Johnson, Ablett. Probably the best drafting by a club over a 3 year period in history."

"3 year period."

 

[Ambrosia]

Kanga stated (of which I responded to): "Not to mention Geelong 2001: Bartel, Kelly, Johnson, Ablett. Probably the best drafting by a club over a 3 year period in history."

"3 year period."

No where in what you quoted did he say Geelong got the best 4 players across 3 years.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Possibly the least interesting conversation going on across the whole forum right now.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

With Cox injured do you run with Tabs, Hogan and Lobb, with Darcy number 1 ruck? Where does McCarthy sit?

I think Freo will learn what a good ruck Lobb is when fully fit. Ross alluded to the fact he is after JLT1.

His fight for the ball is underrated generally because he's so tall. Wouldn't be at all surprised if he ends up no 1 ruck.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

With Cox injured do you run with Tabs, Hogan and Lobb, with Darcy number 1 ruck? Where does McCarthy sit?

Tabs injured as well now. McCarthy will have a game or two to prove he wants a career if JLT is anything to go by

 

[Pulsedriver]

No where in what you quoted did he say Geelong got the best 4 players across 3 years.

Kanga said "not to mention Geelong...", so he had another 4 four in mind. I responded to the four he put forward from Geelong.

 

[Faz 2000]

Lots of promising players from this group.

I think Taranto might go ballistic in the next 18 months and gap the field.

VERY pleased with what SPS has shown this pre-season, hope it's a real sign of him being up to show everyone his stuff.

 

[JayJ20]

McGrath and Taranto look ready to take the next step. Haven't seen much of the others during the preseason.

 

[Tulip]

Taranto was bloody brilliant. Hasn't missed a bit moving from the forward line into the centre. McCluggage has so may weapons and uses them well, despite fading at times. Has lots of growth left in his body though, as opposed to a guy like Petracca who filled out early and is struggling to actually run games out and make any kind of sustained impact. Hard to judge any Essendon player off today's effort, but McGrath wasn't good. He's up against two future superstars here, so he'll want to lift. Not that he's really in the conversation here, but SPS looked the same player as last season despite the off-season hype, albeit against quality opposition. When he got the ball he did well, but he never seems in any rush to get it.

 

[Tom14]

Taranto was bloody brilliant. Hasn't missed a bit moving from the forward line into the centre. McCluggage has so may weapons and uses them well, despite fading at times. Has lots of growth left in his body though, as opposed to a guy like Petracca who filled out early and is struggling to actually run games out and make any kind of sustained impact. Hard to judge any Essendon player off today's effort, but McGrath wasn't good. He's up against two future superstars here, so he'll want to lift. Not that he's really in the conversation here, but SPS looked the same player as last season despite the off-season hype, albeit against quality opposition. When he got the ball he did well, but he never seems in any rush to get it.

Taranto was just sensational today.

Thought McCluggage was close to best on despite only having 20 touches - the most composed player on the ground by a mile. Jarrod Berry started the year well too with 25 disposals. Very very happy GWS helped us get both of them by giving up a pick in the teens to move up from pick 3 to pick 2 to take Taranto (trade made sense for them re academy bidding to be fair). Taranto is a great player and the best performed of the draft so far but we were always going to choose McCluggage over him so getting Berry was such a bonus.

Early days but I think McGrath might suffer due to Taranto and McCluggage being directly after him - he'll be a very good player but those two have the potential to be great.

This draft is shaping up to be something pretty special, far too early to say how special it will be but so many clubs have done very very well out of it.

 

[DaveLister]

Sean Darcy currently equal second in the league for centre clearances with 4, could have had 2 goals too but he's got a long way to go until he's in his prime and a lot of time to work on his craft with Fyfe ruck roving.

What's truly amazing is his strength, 201cm 20 year olds don't typically bench what he does, so he loves a wrestle at a throw in. He jumps surprisingly high for a 113kg bloke and that will only improve as his skinnies, endurance and strength develop.

Physicality and ruck craft is what got him drafted. What Fremantle saw that most in the media and the picks above him missed was his dedication. Everyone saw a fat kid who liked a tackle but Freo saw the former state rep swimmer in his youth, the bloke who's commitment to training forced him to

"To get to Falcons training, Darcy had to skip his final class of the day, walk to the nearby tram stop, take a 30-minute ride to Southern Cross Station and jump on a train to Geelong, arriving about 5pm.

He then needed a lift from the station — sometimes from his mum, Ann-Maree, if she was in town, sometimes an assistant coach — and would arrive at the Falcons’ Highton training base still in his Xavier uniform.

That night he would stay at his grandparents’ house in Geelong and be off by 6am the following morning to train it back to Melbourne in darkness to be ready for his first class.

Even in weeks when his Xavier APS footy commitments took precedence over the Falcons, he still made the effort to attend at least one training session in Geelong."

When this kid becomes a man he could dominate.

 

[Checkered]

I don't think we're too far off the stage where it's not even debatable anymore that Luggage and Taranto have gone past McGrath

 

[SnusCG]

I don't think we're too far off the stage where it's not even debatable anymore that Luggage and Taranto have gone past McGrath

Think Bowes will start moving up peoples boards this season too. Looked all class on the weekend getting more time on ball

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

I don't think we're too far off the stage where it's not even debatable anymore that Luggage and Taranto have gone past McGrath

Cant see the gap getting much closer than it is now tbh. Taranto and McSuitcase are something special.

Its a hard one as a Dockers supporter since we could have had one of them but we got so many best 22 players out of dropping out of pick 3 that its a trade we would have to do again

 

[freo_leo29]

Cant see the gap getting much closer than it is now tbh. Taranto and McSuitcase are something special.

Its a hard one as a Dockers supporter since we could have had one of them but we got so many best 22 players out of dropping out of pick 3 that its a trade we would have to do again

Yeah I wanted McCluggage but knew Brissy would take him at 2 anyway, GWS were so desperate to move up for Taranto I believe so that allowed McCluggage to slip to 3 when those 2 swapped picks.

I'm not sure we would've taken Taranto at 3 anyway, he seemed to be a late bolter.

In the end swapping 3 for McCarthy, 7, 40 and like 71 was great as it got us McCarthy, Logue, Darcy and Ryan who are all going to be huge parts of our rise up the ladder.

 

[Wild Bill]

I don't think we're too far off the stage where it's not even debatable anymore that Luggage and Taranto have gone past McGrath

If ess had their time again McGrath isn’t going 1. McCluggage and Taranto are exactly the type of mid they need.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

If ess had their time again McGrath isn’t going 1. McCluggage and Taranto are exactly the type of mid they need.

5th first round bust for us in three years. Could have drafted Taranto and Oliver and we still would have found a way to play them out of position and ruin their career. Oliver might have been our new full back.

 

[Jeremias]

5th first round bust for us in three years. Could have drafted Taranto and Oliver and we still would have found a way to play them out of position and ruin their career. Oliver might have been our new full back.

Not sure why some are so quick to label a player or a pick a “bust” just because someone better was picked after.

McGrath may never be the best footballer from this draft (odds are against him of course) but that doesn’t mean he’s a bust or picking him was a mistake.

 

[Wild Bill]

5th first round bust for us in three years. Could have drafted Taranto and Oliver and we still would have found a way to play them out of position and ruin their career. Oliver might have been our new full back.

What? He is no bust.

You never had a shot at Oliver. Dee's traded up to get him.

 

[Tom14]

Yeah I wanted McCluggage but knew Brissy would take him at 2 anyway, GWS were so desperate to move up for Taranto I believe so that allowed McCluggage to slip to 3 when those 2 swapped picks.

I'm not sure we would've taken Taranto at 3 anyway, he seemed to be a late bolter.

In the end swapping 3 for McCarthy, 7, 40 and like 71 was great as it got us McCarthy, Logue, Darcy and Ryan who are all going to be huge parts of our rise up the ladder.

I think the reporting at the time was that GWS wanted McGrath primarily (at that stage Essendon was expected to pick McCluggage IIRC) but yeah you were never getting McCluggage if we stayed at 2 - he was number 1 on our board and we would have picked him if he got past essendon.

Couple of very good trades for Freo and Bris here - the one you reference and then ours to drop from 2 to 3 and get pick 15ish (became 17 after academy bidding) which landed us Berry. GWS wanted to get a pick in ahead of a bid on Setterfield so were happy to give up those picks but obviously Setterfield didn't work out.

I'm sure they aren't complaining though, Taranto looks amazing.

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

I still think McGrath will end up being the best player from this draft.

Incredibly happy with Taranto, but I think McGrath will win a Brownlow by the end of his career.