AFL Player # 2: Sam Draper

[Dave]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2025
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 20, TheUnicorn

 

[carnthedons]

He’s got an ape drape yes he do

 

[mitch-wa]

He’s got an ape drape yes he do

They’re giving them to everyone and that means you. You could go to Essendon and get one too then you’ll have an ape drape like he do

 

[Yoda_]

Played well last night but can we all stop pretending he dominated please.

Nice game, tried hard but as a B grade ruck, he probably drew even on points with the Hawks rucks imho


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[jmoo wan]

Played well last night but can we all stop pretending he dominated please.

Nice game, tried hard but as a B grade ruck, he probably drew even on points with the Hawks rucks imho


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it wasn’t just the ruck work though, it was also the second efforts, the way he stood up tall for his team mates and that dirty, dirty mullet thing he’s doing. A grade for sure.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

He needs to work on his kicking.

That's something from me for him from last night's game.

 

[Vander18]

Thought he was great in the first half but faded in the second.

 

[quotemokc]

Needs an inside midfielder to tap the ball to

 

[fairbump_playon]

Not the dominant game we hoped for. Was part of the midfield group that got rolled in Q3. Hawks worked out he likes to go soft back over his head in the centre bounces and sharked a few whereas it had worked in the first half. I’d like to see him more willing (or encouraged) to tap at 10 and 2 to create more uncertainty for the opposition midfield.
.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Could be one of the best 9-game ruckmen in the game’s history. Big blokes take so much time.

 

[Fear Boner]

Draper is about as an exciting ruck prospect I've seen in a while.... please don't ruin him essendon

 

[yodellinhank]

Draper is about as an exciting ruck prospect I've seen in a while.... please don't ruin him essendon

Too late

 

[eth-dog]

Too late
View attachment 1082996

Honestly the commentary around Bellchambers on this board is pathetic. Especially from you. For the majority of his career he was a solid ruck and plied his trade, as well as most of the AFL, if not better

 

[JayJ20]

Honestly the commentary around Bellchambers on this board is pathetic. Especially from you. For the majority of his career he was a solid ruck and plied his trade, as well as most of the AFL, if not better

Not to mention that TBC was one of the better tap ruckman, which is an area Draper needs to work on. The perfect player to teach Draper.

 

[owen87]

Thought he had a lot of positives; got his hand to the ball at plenty of contests, combative at ground level, tackles, engaged in the play.

His big weakness for me - using the ball when he gets his hand to it in the ruck contest. On a number of occasions he won the tap but it was to no advantage. Bellchamber is / was always very good at that aspect of ruck craft, so is actually a good person to be working with Draper.

Natanui vs Grundy is your comparison; Grundy gets to a truckload of contests, plays massive TOG% but doesn't generally give much of an advantage with his hitouts. Natanui gets to far less, but his aggression at ground level and ability to use the ball when he wins the tap makes him incredibly damaging from much lower TOG%. Totally changes how the Eagles setup.

Drapers aggression makes him a Mumford-esque ruckman, just more mobile. If he can get his tap work up to the level Bellchambers was at, he'll be one of the better in the comp.

McEvoy is also highly underrated as a ruckman, one of the best in the comp after that Gawn - Grundy - Goldstein - Natanui group.

 

[citizen-erased]

im not sure the tap work is his issue alone to sort out.
Quite often he was up and ready to win the centre bounce and our midfield were all running forward.

Lads need to watch some tapes of NicNat & Shuey and the space they generate

 

[DapperJong]

Honestly the commentary around Bellchambers on this board is pathetic. Especially from you. For the majority of his career he was a solid ruck and plied his trade, as well as most of the AFL, if not better

Hey man I think we all like Belly, but we just all like big boy as well.

 

[Dave]

McEvoy is also highly underrated as a ruckman, one of the best in the comp after that Gawn - Grundy - Goldstein - Natanui group.

I didn't notice if it was happening in the first half, but in the third qtr McEvoy moved around at the centre bounces to almost try to take Draper side on. I think he got pinged in the last qtr for shepherding in the ruck, I suspect they changed tack after the ease with which we won the ball out of the centre in the second qtr, and we didn't adjust quickly enough.

 

[owen87]

I didn't notice if it was happening in the first half, but in the third qtr McEvoy moved around at the centre bounces to almost try to take Draper side on. I think he got pinged in the last qtr for shepherding in the ruck, I suspect they changed tack after the ease with which we won the ball out of the centre in the second qtr, and we didn't adjust quickly enough.

McEvoy is very smart, Draper is young and athletic but doesn't have the experience yet.

 

[Big Slam]

It’s hard not to love Draper’s attack on the ball and his work at ground level is superb.

One thing that should be discussed is his tackling technique. While his effort can’t be questioned his habit of using the momentum of his body to roll and tackle his opponent across his fallen body could very quickly and easily result in a perceived sling tackle and report.

Would hate to see him forced to sit a week or two due to being adjudicated as executing an illegal and dangerous tackle.

 

[carnthedons]

It’s hard not to love Draper’s attack on the ball and his work at ground level is superb.

One thing that should be discussed is his tackling technique. While his effort can’t be questioned his habit of using the momentum of his body to roll and tackle his opponent across his fallen body could very quickly and easily result in a perceived sling tackle and report.

Would hate to see him forced to sit a week or two due to being adjudicated as executing an illegal and dangerous tackle.

Agree, it shouldn’t be his fault he’s just bigger and stronger than most though. Also can solid post:username correlation

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

He may not dominate as much as we had have hoped...but it was a pretty quiet weekend for most the rucks across the comp. Except up north where it was wet and more stoppages. Without knowing the stats it seemed there was less congestion and stoppages with the new game style. Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

32

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

said he was struggling and getting in bad spots, not able to get back and forward quick enough with the ball pinging over his head.

 

[Lore]

Done for the day with ice on his left ankle.

 

[Lore]

Has a "high ankle" according to the presser which is code for that damned syndesmosis thing again.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Has a "high ankle" according to the presser which is code for that damned syndesmosis thing again.

That’s bad...8-12 weeks

 

[jmoo wan]

Has a "high ankle" according to the presser which is code for that damned syndesmosis thing again.

duuuuuude my ankle is so ******* high right now.