Traded #10: Aaron Francis - Traded to Sydney w. Pick 42 + Future fourth rounder for Pick 37. Thanks Frang!

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2022
Injury Status: n/a

My Boy Draft 2022: Pick 29, Mr Bultitude

 

[SherbertLemon]

How many brownlows will he win in his first 3 years?

 

[Loonerty]

How many brownlows will he win in his first 3 years?

7

 

[Keystone agony]

Ill be interested to see how his kicking/decision making hold up under the extreme pressure that is AFL footy.

Many simply say hes an elite kick. Bit at times he has bad days and can really turn the pill over.

Im not sure what hes going to become hopefully not another Lachie Plowman.

Im just playing devils advacate before he wins 3 brownlows in his first 4 years like many on here are talking him up like.

But they are some issues i have plus his engine which sits in the what position category will he play. We may not need him in the midfield if all Parish, Laverde, Zerrett, Gleeson, maybe Morgan come on as hoped plus Heppell

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

As Callum Twomey mentioned Francis is too talented not to be playing I expect him to be there round 1.

 

[Ambrosia]

Im not sure what hes going to become hopefully not another Lachie Plowman.

Im just playing devils advacate before he wins 3 brownlows in his first 4 years like many on here are talking him up like.
ell

I think Lynden Dunn is a better comparison to Francis if we are playing devils advocate.

 

[Keystone agony]

I think Lynden Dunn is a better comparison to Francis if we are playing devils advocate.

Yeh hmm i was meaning at draft age ect.

Plowman was picked at 3 as a halfback flank/3rd tall defender that they thought could play midfield as a big body.

Francis is basically the same. Basically the 3rd picked live player as a halfback/3rd defender who they hope can be turned into a midfielder.

both similar shapes and sizes.

plowman had more runs on the board as a midfielder.

Im confident Francis will make it in some degree just how good he will be im not as 100% sure as others. He has a few real weapons in kicking penetration, speed, agility. He also seems competitve but that also ebbs and flows

 

[fishardansin]

DPS, I'm one of the weird ones who wants to see him up forward. I think with Hartley, Hurley and Hooker down back, Francis down there too, is far too tall.

Yep I'm hoping that Hurley can be that 3rd tall. Hartley to take the beast and Hooker to take number 2 and try to get off him a bit. As Hartley develops I'd like to see him switch with Hooker a bit as he likes to get off his man a bit. Having said that if our midfield keeps enough pressure on the opposition they can both play a meter or two off their man. I still think Francis can play as medium/small. He's as quick as Gleeson, uses the ball very well, tackles and can also intercept mark. Hibberd is also handy in the air so it'd be a backline that opposition wouldn't feel happy about throwing the ball on the boot to go forward, which becomes necessary if the midfield puts on enough pressure.

Sort of hoping that Watson goes into the centre bounce, but someone else from half forward, maybe Laverde, pushes onto the ball as a follower and Watson plays forward of the ball like a CHF. This means we still have his work at stoppages, but not his lack of defensive pressure in the middle. Having Hocking and Myers back in the middle automatically makes us more defensive. Especially that slim version of Myers that came back from injury and looked dominant for 40 min of footy until he got hurt. I liked Hocking hunting the ball as well. Perhaps Ambrose can be the tagger to release Hocking.

 

[yaco55]

Yeh hmm i was meaning at draft age ect.

Plowman was picked at 3 as a halfback flank/3rd tall defender that they thought could play midfield as a big body.

Francis is basically the same. Basically the 3rd picked live player as a halfback/3rd defender who they hope can be turned into a midfielder.

both similar shapes and sizes.

plowman had more runs on the board as a midfielder.

Im confident Francis will make it in some degree just how good he will be im not as 100% sure as others. He has a few real weapons in kicking penetration, speed, agility. He also seems competitve but that also ebbs and flows

Plowman was a reach at Pick 3 - Plowman is very ordinary below his knees - Plowman is an average kick - Continue the relevant comparisons.

 

[Shane Hird]

Over-hype or not, a 17-18 year old who absolutely dominates the contested marking stats at U18s state level and competes above average at VFL , sannfl or wafl league level is something to get enormously excited about.

I saw a fair bit of Jack Darlings wafl league games before he was drafted and Francis reminds me of how good he is with leap, timing, positioning and aggression in marking contests.

It's the hardest skill of all to be really good and consistent with in your 1st year and 'kids' like that a rare indeed.

A bit of a freak likevHogan has done it with the pressure and work load of full forward..i think Francis can do it all year from the back pocket.

We'll soon see..these upcoming nab games will be great to watch.

 

[hurlygurdy]

Yep I'm hoping that Hurley can be that 3rd tall. Hartley to take the beast and Hooker to take number 2 and try to get off him a bit. As Hartley develops I'd like to see him switch with Hooker a bit as he likes to get off his man a bit. Having said that if our midfield keeps enough pressure on the opposition they can both play a meter or two off their man. I still think Francis can play as medium/small. He's as quick as Gleeson, uses the ball very well, tackles and can also intercept mark. Hibberd is also handy in the air so it'd be a backline that opposition wouldn't feel happy about throwing the ball on the boot to go forward, which becomes necessary if the midfield puts on enough pressure.

Sort of hoping that Watson goes into the centre bounce, but someone else from half forward, maybe Laverde, pushes onto the ball as a follower and Watson plays forward of the ball like a CHF. This means we still have his work at stoppages, but not his lack of defensive pressure in the middle. Having Hocking and Myers back in the middle automatically makes us more defensive. Especially that slim version of Myers that came back from injury and looked dominant for 40 min of footy until he got hurt. I liked Hocking hunting the ball as well. Perhaps Ambrose can be the tagger to release Hocking.

If Hartley is really that good then how did we get him so late in the draft?

 

[doug85]

If Hartley is really that good then how did we get him so late in the draft?

Exactly.

Surely he has some glaring weaknesses if he gets taken so late.

 

[Keystone agony]

Plowman was a reach at Pick 3 - Plowman is very ordinary below his knees - Plowman is an average kick - Continue the relevant comparisons.

No he wasnt

 

[Keystone agony]

If Hartley is really that good then how did we get him so late in the draft?

Especially with alot of teama needing KPP ie: Fremantle

I love how every continues to set themselves up for disappointment. Everyone was our flag chance and we finished 4th last. I feel like i need to bring everyone back to reality.

FWIW im a Francis fan just feel supporters are as usual getting carried away.

Mind you he was a BF favourite this year Francis so wasnt just our fans.

 

[Charliebrow 16]

Before the conversation turns, I rated Plowman extremely highly in his draft year and I still have high hopes for him. It's just that if he now fulfills his potential, it's unfortunately going to be at Carlton.

As for Francis, I'm not getting caught up in the hype. If he plays early next year and entrenches himself in the side then that's fantastic. If not, and he needs to spend time developing his tank or certain aspects to his game in the VFL, it's not the end of the world. I'm sure he'll be a good player.

 

[SherbertLemon]

Exactly.

Surely he has some glaring weaknesses if he gets taken so late.

He's been listed by an AFL club and was always injured. Same as Brown, but out recruiters believe they can come good. Very much worth the gamble over an unproved kid given their VFL performances.

 

[doug85]

He's been listed by an AFL club and was always injured. Same as Brown, but out recruiters believe they can come good. Very much worth the gamble over an unproved kid given their VFL performances.

So injuries are the only reason he went so late?

 

[Old Campaigner]

So injuries are the only reason he went so late?

I suspect recruiters view mature age draftees as being pretty close to their ceiling in most cases, and being very good at VFL doesn't necessarily translate into being best 22 in the AFL, and they'd rather pick someone with the scope to develop.

 

[Ambrosia]

So injuries are the only reason he went so late?

It's more to do with the state leagues being miles behind the AFL so their is always doubt on the ability of state league KPP to come in and forge an AFL career.

 

[BrunoV]

If Hartley is really that good then how did we get him so late in the draft?

Because football clubs really are not that smart.

Lists are full of players clubs are stuck with or attached to.

Dan Coghlan was comfortably better than 10 of the players we'd have rotated through midfield spots on our list this year. He is not on our list because players like Cooney, Howlett, Bird, Hams and Kommer are already on the list.

Getting recruited out of the second tier leagues is equal parts luck and quality of performances. The club is in love with Tippa which is why he is on the list.

 

[efcboy]

Because football clubs really are not that smart.

Lists are full of players clubs are stuck with or attached to.

Dan Coghlan was comfortably better than 10 of the players we'd have rotated through midfield spots on our list this year. He is not on our list because players like Cooney, Howlett, Bird, Hams and Kommer are already on the list.

Getting recruited out of the second tier leagues is equal parts luck and quality of performances. The club is in love with Tippa which is why he is on the list.

Hartley failed the EFC medical check at start of year when we were signing top up players. He passed the medical this time around - failing it earlier in the year may have put off some clubs. And coaches, list managers and recruiters cop more criticism when they recruit older players so the fear of more pressure probably leads to some clubs focusing on kids. Also they want the sexy feel good recruit - ie Daniel Rioli going to Richmond where his Great Uncle played etc. fair amount of marketing in that one. On football ability I would have thought Rioli should have been about a pick 30 and he's gone way earlier.

Sydney have been one of few clubs to continually recruit older players and have done so with success. Craig Bolton not much different to Brown/Hartley really when he left Brisbane.

 

[yaco55]

No he wasnt

GWS reached with a few of their early selections in their first two drafts - You can continue to over-rate Plowman - There is no way that Plowman will end up the third best player in his draft or close to it.

 

[Vindicater]

Francis will play round 1 as a half forward.

Lock it in.

 

[emblurr]

Francis will play round 1 as a half forward.

Lock it in.

 

[BrunoV]

Hartley failed the EFC medical check at start of year when we were signing top up players. He passed the medical this time around - failing it earlier in the year may have put off some clubs. And coaches, list managers and recruiters cop more criticism when they recruit older players so the fear of more pressure probably leads to some clubs focusing on kids. Also they want the sexy feel good recruit - ie Daniel Rioli going to Richmond where his Great Uncle played etc. fair amount of marketing in that one. On football ability I would have thought Rioli should have been about a pick 30 and he's gone way earlier.

Sydney have been one of few clubs to continually recruit older players and have done so with success. Craig Bolton not much different to Brown/Hartley really when he left Brisbane.

Which just goes to show.

It was a medical for a 5 week contract.

He'd picked up a niggle or was recovering from something.

 

[Keystone agony]

GWS reached with a few of their early selections in their first two drafts - You can continue to over-rate Plowman - There is no way that Plowman will end up the third best player in his draft or close to it.

Ive said the opposite.

At the time of draft he was clearly rated top 5.

It was also considered a much stronger draft