Preview 2024 National Draft Preview Thread

[Its a Process]

Assuming we lose Cam Z as a free agent we would have to be careful about who we are picking up as it might dilute any compensation, although after yesterday's his offers may be reducing! Regardless of Cam we will also be losing a heap of experience with Thomas, Taylor, Greenwood, Shiels all out the door.

If we retain Cam and we can have a free hit at free agency I'd be targeting the following:

• J Berry (Defensive mid, obvious need)
• R Lester (decent defender, seems like a good leader)
• O Florent (very good player, versatile)
• J Battle (Intercept marker)
• I Cumming (good defender and beautiful kick)
• M Duncan (Good player, versatile and would bring leadership)

 

[The Talent Scout]

Draft best available, which is likely to be a midfielder.

Couldn't give a s**t what the media has to say regarding key position players.

The reality is there has not been a single key position player since 2020 who went soon after our first round selection that we should have selected above the player we did. There are only 3 KPP who were worthy of a selection at our picks in that time. Two of them were Jed Walter and JUH, and we had access to neither (maybe Adelaide take JUH in an open draft and we end up with Thilthorpe who I'm a massive fan of). The only other option was Sam Darcy, but I doubt we take him ahead of Judas and again, we didn't have access to him as he was a F/S.

We need a key position forward but it's idiotic reaching for them to appease the morons in the media.

If there's anything to come out of our period of drafting in the last 5 years it's the ridiculous compromised nature of the draft which has severely impacted our ability to actually take the best player available. This is conveniently ignored by most of the media.

POST OF THE DAY, WITHOUT DOUBT!

 

[The Talent Scout]

On current form...are we getting another priority?

Andrew Dillon has today come out and said that the priority pick is possibly on the way out and has said he "would like a system in place where you didn't need them and that is something we will be looking to work towards but that won't necessarily be in place by the end of the year". "I think that they are part of the review".

Depending where we finish at the end of the year and how many wins we have, it does look like this will be the last year of the priority picks if it is needed and to what extent.

 

[year of the roo]

Andrew Dillon has today come out and said that the priority pick is possibly on the way out and has said he "would like a system in place where you didn't need them and that is something we will be looking to work towards but that won't necessarily be in place by the end of the year". "I think that they are part of the review".

Depending where we finish at the end of the year and how many wins we have, it does look like this will be the last year of the priority picks if it is needed and to what extent.

There already is a system in place, it's called "who gives a stuff what happens to North Melbourne". No one at HQ is losing any sleep over our plight right now.

 

[noobermensch]

Gross put in a typically industrious performance for the Academy, working hard defensively and finding plenty of the footy going forward.

 

[Fart Cummings]

no reason to reach for a Key postition when our midfield is so putrid! id be picking Josh Smillie with pick 1

 

[The Talent Scout]

no reason to reach for a Key postition when our midfield is so putrid! id be picking Josh Smillie with pick 1

Well that may be on the cards, long, long way to go and a lot to play out, we may not have the no1 draft pick come the National Draft, as crazy as that sounds.

 

[R00StaR]

Draft best available, which is likely to be a midfielder.

Couldn't give a s**t what the media has to say regarding key position players.

The reality is there has not been a single key position player since 2020 who went soon after our first round selection that we should have selected above the player we did. There are only 3 KPP who were worthy of a selection at our picks in that time. Two of them were Jed Walter and JUH, and we had access to neither (maybe Adelaide take JUH in an open draft and we end up with Thilthorpe who I'm a massive fan of). The only other option was Sam Darcy, but I doubt we take him ahead of Judas and again, we didn't have access to him as he was a F/S.

We need a key position forward but it's idiotic reaching for them to appease the morons in the media.

If there's anything to come out of our period of drafting in the last 5 years it's the ridiculous compromised nature of the draft which has severely impacted our ability to actually take the best player available. This is conveniently ignored by most of the media.

Agreed, but we do need mids who can play other positions.
The likes of JHF, Reid, Bont and a number of others can not only move forward but can play out of the square from time to time.
Btw Thilthorpe was the player i wanted that draft, disappointed Crows go in ahead of us but not surprised.

 

[year of the roo]

Tom = without deduction of taxes

 

[chubbspeterson]

Is nobody under 194cm that isn't a small pressure forward too drastic a recruiting policy lol?

 

[Supreme_Chancellor]

I think we're going to be living in this thread again.

 

[The Talent Scout]

Agreed, but we do need mids who can play other positions.
The likes of JHF, Reid, Bont and a number of others can not only move forward but can play out of the square from time to time.
Btw Thilthorpe was the player i wanted that draft, disappointed Crows go in ahead of us but not surprised.

Watched him playing for Westies{West Adelaide} and he was my dream pick but I knew Adelaide were very keen on him with someone else, despite the media crapping on about Logan, I knew Logan was not in their sights. At Westies boy oh boy did he show glimpses, but his running capacity for a guy his size was next level but the Adelaide media was throwing the generational W.A. boy as the next Tony Locket.

I was thinking if they choose him over Thilthorpe I'll jump of Glenelg Pier and then dry myself off and start celebrating, needless to say Adelaide chose him and not the generational forward, don't you ever think WHY we copped all the crap about THAT pick and WHY Adelaide copped nothing, I mean absolutely zero, its because Logan was never a generational forward in the first place, maybe by one or two of them but the rest of the recruiters would have had Riley well ahead of Logan.

 

[Rooboys Rool]

Assuming we lose Cam Z as a free agent we would have to be careful about who we are picking up as it might dilute any compensation, although after yesterday's his offers may be reducing! Regardless of Cam we will also be losing a heap of experience with Thomas, Taylor, Greenwood, Shiels all out the door.

If we retain Cam and we can have a free hit at free agency I'd be targeting the following:

• J Berry (Defensive mid, obvious need)
• R Lester (decent defender, seems like a good leader)
• O Florent (very good player, versatile)
• J Battle (Intercept marker)
• I Cumming (good defender and beautiful kick)
• M Duncan (Good player, versatile and would bring leadership)

A form of assistance the AFL should give teams at the bottom is no dilution of FA compensation if another FA is acquired.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Assuming we lose Cam Z as a free agent we would have to be careful about who we are picking up as it might dilute any compensation, although after yesterday's his offers may be reducing! Regardless of Cam we will also be losing a heap of experience with Thomas, Taylor, Greenwood, Shiels all out the door.

If we retain Cam and we can have a free hit at free agency I'd be targeting the following:

• J Berry (Defensive mid, obvious need)
• R Lester (decent defender, seems like a good leader)
• O Florent (very good player, versatile)
• J Battle (Intercept marker)
• I Cumming (good defender and beautiful kick)
• M Duncan (Good player, versatile and would bring leadership)

Berry or Keays would be great from Adelaide.

I think the horse has bolted with Florent.

Battle would be good.

Duncan maybe a touch too old (33+ now, no?)

 

[giantroo]

So what are North’s draft options?​

Unearthing a key defender should be the club’s priority, according to the same recruiters, but there are few candidates even in the late first-round mix, when drafting starts becoming riskier.

Sandringham’s Luke Trainor is emerging as a top-10 contender, but at 195 centimetres is not the height AFL scouts covet for a lead role and projects more as an interceptor and mobile third tall.

One who could become that is Dandenong Stingrays’ Noah Mraz (198cm), who North Melbourne recruiters spoke to on season eve, while other tall defenders on the radar include Harry O’Farrell (196cm) and Matt Whitlock (199cm).

Finding a long-term sidekick for Larkey with an early pick might be easier, but equally none is considered in the top handful of selections at this stage.

Whitlock’s twin, fellow Murray Bushranger Jack (200cm), is rapidly climbing and might be the brightest key forward prospect, ahead of Greater Western Victoria’s Jonty Faull (195cm) – who is nursing a back stress fracture – West Perth’s Kayle Gerreyn (199cm) and Bendigo’s Jobe Shanahan (194cm).

However, there are no “can’t miss” prospects among them, and they are all raw, according to scouts.

North Melbourne and everyone else knows what they need, but finding it continues to be elusive, much like success on the field – and it is not a coincidence.

No Harley on the horizon: Why the 2024 draft won’t provide a quick fix for North

North Melbourne may need to contemplate trading the No.1 pick again to address their extreme key-position shortage and avoid adding to their problematic midfield logjam.

www.theage.com.au

 

[RanaNaved]

LOL, Trainor at 195cm is not the height recruiters are after for a KPD, but O'Farrell at 196cm is

 

[Better Loosen Up]

So what are North’s draft options?​

Unearthing a key defender should be the club’s priority, according to the same recruiters, but there are few candidates even in the late first-round mix, when drafting starts becoming riskier.

Sandringham’s Luke Trainor is emerging as a top-10 contender, but at 195 centimetres is not the height AFL scouts covet for a lead role and projects more as an interceptor and mobile third tall.

One who could become that is Dandenong Stingrays’ Noah Mraz (198cm), who North Melbourne recruiters spoke to on season eve, while other tall defenders on the radar include Harry O’Farrell (196cm) and Matt Whitlock (199cm).

Finding a long-term sidekick for Larkey with an early pick might be easier, but equally none is considered in the top handful of selections at this stage.

Whitlock’s twin, fellow Murray Bushranger Jack (200cm), is rapidly climbing and might be the brightest key forward prospect, ahead of Greater Western Victoria’s Jonty Faull (195cm) – who is nursing a back stress fracture – West Perth’s Kayle Gerreyn (199cm) and Bendigo’s Jobe Shanahan (194cm).

However, there are no “can’t miss” prospects among them, and they are all raw, according to scouts.

North Melbourne and everyone else knows what they need, but finding it continues to be elusive, much like success on the field – and it is not a coincidence.

No Harley on the horizon: Why the 2024 draft won’t provide a quick fix for North

North Melbourne may need to contemplate trading the No.1 pick again to address their extreme key-position shortage and avoid adding to their problematic midfield logjam.

www.theage.com.au

Not entirely sure that "unearthing a key defender should be the club's priority"

As it currently stands, I believe we have Logue, Comben, Wil Dawson and Kallan Dawson to work with moving forward. Between those 4, I think we will be fine. What we need is a bigger bodied midfielder, centre half forward and a small forward.

We also need players in general that have a bit of mongrel about them.

 

[kirbonavich]

Not entirely sure that "unearthing a key defender should be the club's priority"

As it currently stands, I believe we have Logue, Comben, Wil Dawson and Kallan Dawson to work with moving forward. Between those 4, I think we will be fine. What we need is a bigger bodied midfielder, centre half forward and a small forward.

We also need players in general that have a bit of mongrel about them.

Logue is average.
Chom looks the goods but history dictates he does an injury next week.
W. Dawson is an unknown.
K. Dawson is average.

They simply won't do.

There needs to be a Taylor, Weitering, May etc incorporated into that mixture - elite defensive skills.

Agree wholeheartedly with the mongrel though. We are about as terrifying as spring flowers.

 

[DesertRoo]

We need some fighting spirt, nothing would spice the locker room up then getting a set of twins.
No idea how we get the draft capital to get the two shepp boys thou?

 

[Newbie Real Talk]

Pick 1 to Gold Coast for Lukosius and their first round pick (Trainor)
2 keys in areas of need.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Logue is average.
Chom looks the goods but history dictates he does an injury next week.
W. Dawson is an unknown.
K. Dawson is average.

They simply won't do.

There needs to be a Taylor, Weitering, May etc incorporated into that mixture - elite defensive skills.

Agree wholeheartedly with the mongrel though. We are about as terrifying as spring flowers.

As a hayfever sufferer, spring flowers are pretty terrifying!

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Pick 1 to Gold Coast for Lukosius and their first round pick (Trainor)
2 keys in areas of need.

They really don't need all of their early picks because they have Leo Lombard coming through as an academy player

Maybe something like:

Gold Coast Receive: Pick 1, 21, 57
North Receive: Pick 8, 11, 29 & Lukosius & Ned Moyle

Big win for them because they get a number 1 pick + Lombard who is going to be a top 6-7 pick.

 

[ToxicMegaPunts]

Pick 1 to Gold Coast for Lukosius and their first round pick (Trainor)
2 keys in areas of need.

That would be a horror trade, something that Crazy Rawlings would probably do. Lukosius is neither a key forward or back, and it would be highly doubtful whether Trainor would still be on the board at Gold Coast's pick.

 

[Passmore]

They really don't need all of their early picks because they have Leo Lombard coming through as an academy player

Maybe something like:

Gold Coast Receive: Pick 1, 21, 57
North Receive: Pick 8, 11, 29 & Lukosius & Ned Moyle

Big win for them because they get a number 1 pick + Lombard who is going to be a top 6-7 pick.

Lukosius read that and immediately went into the foetal position.

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

 

[Rooboys Rool]

Not entirely sure that "unearthing a key defender should be the club's priority"

As it currently stands, I believe we have Logue, Comben, Wil Dawson and Kallan Dawson to work with moving forward. Between those 4, I think we will be fine. What we need is a bigger bodied midfielder, centre half forward and a small forward.

We also need players in general that have a bit of mongrel about them.

I see quite a few saying this now, but I completely disagree. Projecting to our next premiership window, it’s only Comben and W Dawson in the right age bracket. Comben might not be playing in the backline by that time and obviously Dawson hasn’t even played a game yet.

With the time KPP take to develop, I really hope we take another KPD this year. Doesn’t need to be a high draft pick though.