Past #16: Aiden Bonar - drafted by GWS #11 '17 ND - traded to NM end '19 - 25 NM games - thx Bon

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Sep 17, 2006
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There's quite a bit of pessimism in this thread.

I think he's just as likely to explode next year in comfortable surroundings than he is to flounder in the VFL for the whole year. Based on the interviews to date, there was definitely homesickness and a some depressive issues at play up there...

He was the clear #1 pick in his age group as a 16 year old before doing his first knee, he has talent flowing out of every orifice. I remember seeing him at the u/16 carnival thinking he was the midfield version of Nic Naitanui, I have no doubt in my mind if he was fit during 16' & 17' he would of gone #1. He went at #11 from a couple of finals games and 3 rounds of Haileybury football at the end of the season

What hasn't been mentioned in here at all is his skills. He really is an excellent ball user for his size, he's one of the nicest kicks you will see for an inside mid of his size and athleticism.


He's going to be an awesome speciman when he's had 4-5 years of AFL training. Someone like Ziebell is a big unit at the same height, but Bonar will dwarf him physically with the same number of pre-seasons.
 
Last edited:
Dec 18, 2014
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There's quite a bit of pessimism in this thread.

I think he's just as likely to explode next year in comfortable surroundings than he is to flounder in the VFL for the whole year. Based on the interviews to date, there was definitely homesickness and a some depressive issues at play up there...

He was the clear #1 pick in his age group as a 16 year old before doing his first knee, he has talent flowing out of every orifice. I remember seeing him at the u/16 carnival thinking he was the midfield version of Nic Naitanui, I have no doubt in my mind if he was fit during 16' & 17' he would of gone #1. He went at #11 from a couple of finals games and 3 rounds of Haileybury football at the end of the season

What hasn't been mentioned in here at all is his skills. He really is an excellent ball user for his size, he's one of the nicest kicks you will see for an inside mid of his size and athleticism.


He's going to be an awesome speciman when he's had 4-5 years of AFL training. Someone like Ziebell is a big unit at the same height, but Bonar will dwarf him physically with the same number of pre-seasons.
This

Hopefully our club and unleash his potential.
 
There's quite a bit of pessimism in this thread.

I think he's just as likely to explode next year in comfortable surroundings than he is to flounder in the VFL for the whole year. Based on the interviews to date, there was definitely homesickness and a some depressive issues at play up there...

He was the clear #1 pick in his age group as a 16 year old before doing his first knee, he has talent flowing out of every orifice. I remember seeing him at the u/16 carnival thinking he was the midfield version of Nic Naitanui, I have no doubt in my mind if he was fit during 16' & 17' he would of gone #1. He went at #11 from a couple of finals games and 3 rounds of Haileybury football at the end of the season

What hasn't been mentioned in here at all is his skills. He really is an excellent ball user for his size, he's one of the nicest kicks you will see for an inside mid of his size and athleticism.


He's going to be an awesome speciman when he's had 4-5 years of AFL training. Someone like Ziebell is a big unit at the same height, but Bonar will dwarf him physically with the same number of pre-seasons.

Good post.

I couldn't work out why GWS took him at pick 11 tbh when they had such inside and general midfield talent anyway.

Must have just been on the best available principle.
 
North quietly rebuilding calendar sales with LDU and Bonar looking to lock down January and February.

Taylor Garner with the strategically placed can in his month?
 

Rusty Buckets

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Oct 11, 2019
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Shoe on the other foot, would we trade out a pick 11 for a swap of late picks after 2 seasons? It'd be interesting to know if our pro scout guys tracked this guy during the year and made an objective assessment. You'd hope this isn't the case and we didn't get suckered into relieving GWS of 400K off their books. Just hoping this doesn't have Daniel McConnell written all over it.
 
Jul 11, 2017
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Shoe on the other foot, would we trade out a pick 11 for a swap of late picks after 2 seasons? It'd be interesting to know if our pro scout guys tracked this guy during the year and made an objective assessment. You'd hope this isn't the case and we didn't get suckered into relieving GWS of 400K off their books. Just hoping this doesn't have Daniel McConnell written all over it.
If we had the bevy of draft choices gws had been blessed with and the list demographics they have I think surplus would be surplus, it's hard to imagine a like for like scenario to me
 

Rusty Buckets

Team Captain
Oct 11, 2019
311
534
AFL Club
North Melbourne
If we had the bevy of draft choices gws had been blessed with and the list demographics they have I think surplus would be surplus, it's hard to imagine a like for like scenario to me
So you reckon it's purely a cap-space scenario? Am I not mistaken that he was fit and available for finals, but the first-year blokes up there went past him?
 
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