Player Watch 2025 AFL Draft Thread (Welcome to our new Central Districts overlords!)

[FB19]

Look that’s a great trade for us but that’s a true bending over of Essendon and won’t be offered. It would have to be an extraordinary offer, getting Duursma was going to be how the board sold a Merrett “backflip” to the members (4x1Rs would have been a good sell as well).

We’ve only got 5 main list spots and Banfield (FS) and Williams (NGA) are likely to attract bids so just need to be mindful that we probably only have 3 live picks per se so the plan would ideally be 3 picks in the top 10.

How many main list spots do Hawthorn have? Take best talent at 10 (midfielder if 50/50), best mid available at pick 22 then..?

We can but dream!
I think they would offer something similar and you can use the picks to get up or into the future. There are clubs without picks that would be keen and we’ve seen north.
We have 6 open spots 5 primary and a Cat A rookie with 2 players uncontracted 1 primary 1 Cat A rookie but they will likely be kept. Hard to initially see how we trade out of this draft and then fill all those spots responsibly unless we take Frost back for example. I don’t think we target mids for the sake of it unless we love one at either pick, suspect we fill the Merrett gap internally and recruit high ceiling speculative guys like Philippou or go for immediate impact small forwards like Dovaston to release Moore Watson MacDonald to play more midfield minutes.

 

[eaglevision]

We can but dream!
I think they would offer something similar and you can use the picks to get up or into the future. There are clubs without picks that would be keen and we’ve seen north.
We have 6 open spots 5 primary and a Cat A rookie with 2 players uncontracted 1 primary 1 Cat A rookie but they will likely be kept. Hard to initially see how we trade out of this draft and then fill all those spots responsibly unless we take Frost back for example. I don’t think we target mids for the sake of it unless we love one at either pick, suspect we fill the Merrett gap internally and recruit high ceiling speculative guys like Philippou or go for immediate impact small forwards like Dovaston to release Moore Watson MacDonald to play more midfield minutes.

At 10 Greeves would be a good replacement for Worpel, Dovaston if Watson plays more midfield minutes, Lindsay on for CJ.

Phillipou would be a reach at 10 but yes high ceiling, he thinks he’s going pick 1 just like his brother. Mitchell seems to love athletic, versatile players. Barker would be a great fit on a wing/HBF too but ACL to consider.

 

[FB19]

At 10 Greeves would be a good replacement for Worpel, Dovaston if Watson plays more midfield minutes, Lindsay on for CJ.

Phillipou would be a reach at 10 but yes high ceiling, he thinks he’s going pick 1 just like his brother. Mitchell seems to love athletic, versatile players. Barker would be a great fit on a wing/HBF too but ACL to consider.

I’m not sold on Greeves or Sharp as inside mids with significant deficiencies. Agree philippou more at 22 and I would take Oskar Taylor before Lindsay aligned to the higher ceiling comment before. I also really like Farrow but suspect you’ve seen more of him than me are you keen at 13?

 

[Hawks_Footy]

I’m not sold on Greeves or Sharp as inside mids with significant deficiencies. Agree philippou more at 22 and I would take Oskar Taylor before Lindsay aligned to the higher ceiling comment before. I also really like Farrow but suspect you’ve seen more of him than me are you keen at 13?

Also huge on Farrow, he projects to be the prototype midfielder if he can transition his game up the field which he looked to be doing late in the year.. His touch with his kicking is a real feature

 

[eaglevision]

I’m not sold on Greeves or Sharp as inside mids with significant deficiencies. Agree philippou more at 22 and I would take Oskar Taylor before Lindsay aligned to the higher ceiling comment before. I also really like Farrow but suspect you’ve seen more of him than me are you keen at 13?

I think pick 13 selects itself to be honest, it’s the last player of what I would view as the third tier. In order of preference I expect to be left with one of Dovaston, Lindsay, Marsh, Farrow and Greeves assuming we still have that pick which I don’t think we will.

I like Farrow but I’d rather take a pure mid, not a HBF with midfield potential. We’ve seen that with Duggan, Ginbey, Allan…

Will Day and Tobie Travaglia are the exceptions, my favourite players from each of their drafts.

 

[Atch]

I’m not sold on Greeves or Sharp as inside mids with significant deficiencies. Agree philippou more at 22 and I would take Oskar Taylor before Lindsay aligned to the higher ceiling comment before. I also really like Farrow but suspect you’ve seen more of him than me are you keen at 13?

What are sharps deficiencies apart from being a wee bit slow? Dont need to be quick when your ripping it out of the pack standing up against two tacklers dishing it out to newk who does the rest. Greeves I've heard fitness is questionable as well as four quarter effort however.

 

[NICE1]

We just need speed and X factor. We have a lot of players that are/will be good reliable players, but we're lacking match winners.

I think we desperately need another small forward with pace, tricks and flog factor to go with Watson. Ideally he will have the capability to run through the middle as well. Our best pressure forward, Watson aside, is Chol - thats telling you something. Whilst Croc, Ginni and Moore are handy up forward, they aren't overly effective at applying forward pressure and keeping the ball inside Fwd 50. They're also not true small forward Specialist IMO.

I think the importance of top level small forwards with x factor, are still understated in today's game. They can turn a game on its head very quickly. The ability to turn nothing into something. Not to mention, its awesome to watch.

 

[FB19]

What are sharps deficiencies apart from being a wee bit slow? Dont need to be quick when your ripping it out of the pack standing up against two tacklers dishing it out to newk who does the rest. Greeves I've heard fitness is questionable as well as four quarter effort however.

He’s great for a rebuilding club like the eagles who already have the other mid types but he is your archetype of an inside mid. Great at all of those things but speed outside run and kicking aren’t great. He’s absolutely fantastic at those things though. A perfect partner to Harley and a future captain. It’s why I think eagles will trade back after taking one pick to land sharp and another player and inwiuldnsonthat with the scum and avoid the dreaded “Cuursma”

 

[burner1]

Suns have their hands full with 2 possible top 5 academy mids. But think have another 3+ that may be draftable.

Could we poach say Jai Murray with our 2nd? Big mid, with apparent class. Missed a lot of footy in 2025. Rated inside top 25-30 by some. Any views by the draft watchers?

 

[VandoHawk]

Suns have their hands full with 2 possible top 5 academy mids. But think have another 3+ that may be draftable.

Could we poach say Jai Murray with our 2nd? Big mid, with apparent class. Missed a lot of footy in 2025. Rated inside top 25-30 by some. Any views by the draft watchers?

Yes. Massive upside and class.

 

[Ashman23]

Whomever has quick hands, intelligent quick thinking and a bit of speed should be our pick.

Elite at any position.

 

[SSSSSS]

I'm not sold on Greeves.

I've watched him struggle to get from contest to contest and I don't think he'll be able to use his size to bully opponents at AFL level.

Much rather Cummings as that big midfielder but I suspect he'll be gone by our pick. No chance for Robey who is my pick of the bunch unless we trade up.

 

[flinchfree]

I have a new favourite …. a mid/forward type

WOW!
Those are some of my favourite highlights for a prospect I"ve seen since Clayton Oliver's.........

This kid could be a legitimate star even at the highest of AFL levels.

 

[hawkinoz]

Ginni has had his say

 

[yeahmate]

Is there a chance phillipou would slide to 22, would prefer to take him then

 

[seysearles]

I have a new favourite …. a mid/forward type

i wish they had their names on their guernseys at this level so that its easier for everyone (including scouts) to track them. I find that unless they have a very distinctive look you constantly lose track of who your watching.

 

[LRobbo]

Just looking at the delisted list, I would try and pick up Alwyn Davey. We were going to recruit him, until the Scum matched it. I'd give him a go.

Couldn’t get a game at Essendon who have the worst list in the comp outside of the Eagles.
The hardest of passes

 

[TylerDurden]

I'm not sold on Greeves.

I've watched him struggle to get from contest to contest and I don't think he'll be able to use his size to bully opponents at AFL level.

Much rather Cummings as that big midfielder but I suspect he'll be gone by our pick. No chance for Robey who is my pick of the bunch unless we trade up.

Robey could be top 3 for mine.

 

[tommyk72]

Any potential Weddles in this draft? Unbroken brumbies who have sky high potential?

 

[bindas12]

Tom Mitchell is available.....desperate times and all

 

[HairyO]

I can't see us using both 1st round picks. We should definitely wait till draft night when clubs will be falling over themselves to trade up into the top 30. I want another one or two death rides next season

Eagles have 5 spots free and 7 picks. Could we offer 10 for 13 and 30-ish (whatever their 30s pick is) ? They get 3 top 10 picks for rebuilding.

13, 22 and 30-ish can be either used or traded for F1 or F2s ?

 

[eaglevision]

Any potential Weddles in this draft? Unbroken brumbies who have sky high potential?

Barker.

 

[eaglevision]

Eagles have 5 spots free and 7 picks. Could we offer 10 for 13 and 30-ish (whatever their 30s pick is) ? They get 3 top 10 picks for rebuilding.

13, 22 and 30-ish can be either used or traded for F1 or F2s ?

You absolutely could. In the absence of Carlton agreeing to the same deal for pick 9 we’d absolutely trade you 13 and 34 for 10 if you’d identified a player who’d be available with that pick.

 

[number23]

Tom Mitchell is available.....desperate times and all

I think that he burned his bridges after he left us. Something about him not taking the criticism from the coaches well.

 

[HairyO]

You absolutely could. In the absence of Carlton agreeing to the same deal for pick 9 we’d absolutely trade you 13 and 34 for 10 if you’d identified a player who’d be available with that pick.

Carlton probably want to use all their picks to get one of Richmond's picks.

If its a shallow draft the top few picks will be in high demand.