AFL Player # 2: Sam Draper - Knee surgery, 6-8 weeks - 14/5

[Dave]

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

 

[Falcon27]

I doubt he plays this week. Logistics of getting him to Perth are not in his favor.

Any idea how many players we have in Perth?

 

[ant555]

Any idea how many players we have in Perth?

Not 100 percent on it but I thought read somewhere we where taking 27. Not sure what it ended up being.

 

[eth-dog]

Not 100 percent on it but I thought read somewhere we where taking 27. Not sure what it ended up being.

I thought I saw 29.

 

[ant555]

I thought I saw 29.

Could have been. I remember reading a high twenty.

 

[Mercurial89]

The practice match was in Sydney, so I assume he could fly out to Perth at any stage?

 

[Lore]

The practice match was in Sydney, so I assume he could fly out to Perth at any stage?

Was it?

Where are people hearing/reading about this thing?

 

[Mercurial89]

Was it?

Where are people hearing/reading about this thing?

I was just listening to SEN where a caller was commenting on the Carlton reserves, a comment by Xavier on Sen that he played for Carlton.
A comment by Longmire at his presser at seeing some essendon boys around town and that by logic if we couldn't get out of Vic into other states then I would expect players that may be a chance would be shipped out not necessarily to Perth but at the potential hub location.

Just bit of putting stuff together nothing has really been announced

 

[Hird05]

Not 100 percent on it but I thought read somewhere we where taking 27. Not sure what it ended up being.

Gm said on SEN the other day that 29 flew to Perth.

 

[Lore]

Confirmed.

Draper and Reid both went up to Sydney to get a hit-out playing for Carlton like they did last year with the combined practise matches.

Was Draper's first hit out back from injury.

From the way he said it, it sounds like it was only the two of them.

Mentioned in the performance update video:

Injury news: Snelling sidelined, tests for two talls

The latest injury news on Will Snelling, Jayden Laverde, Peter Wright and Aaron Francis.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[Lore]

Maybe hard to believe but Jones and Cox have both played more games than Drapes now. And as of his next game, Perkins will have equalled Draper too. Caldwell is sitting on 13, they'll all go past him before he plays another.

These guys are so young and so inexperienced, and yet it feels like they've been playing for ages, especially Draper.

 

[Lore]

From the Carlton website;

It was a case of going back to the 2020 hubs for O'Keefe's side, with the Blues calling on an unlikely ally for the hitout.

The Blues didn’t have their VFL-listed players with them in Sydney, but the Swans and the Bombers were happy to help out when it came to fielding an 18-man side.

“We played 18 v 18, so to top up our team, we used the VFL-listed players from the Sydney Swans. Some of them were academy players, so they were quite young and raw, but they were really good to play with,” he said.

“We also played with two Essendon players, so Sam Draper and Zac Reid joined forces with us and we even picked them up on the way to the ground.

“It was really nice to be able to connect with the other clubs that way and just get on with what we’re all about, which is playing footy.”

Fortunate to play: O'Keefe recaps VFL scratch match

The Carlton Reserves played a scratch match in Sydney.

www.carltonfc.com.au

 

[ant555]

From the Carlton website;

Fortunate to play: O'Keefe recaps VFL scratch match

The Carlton Reserves played a scratch match in Sydney.

www.carltonfc.com.au

The irony , the player picked up with the Saad pick plays for them

 

[yodellinhank]

He played for Carlton? Ewwwww

Delist.

 

[SydneyBomber]

Delist.

I'm sure he would have 'accidentally' kicked the ball the wrong way auskick kid style as a result though haha

 

[TheGrizz]

Maybe hard to believe but Jones and Cox have both played more games than Drapes now. And as of his next game, Perkins will have equalled Draper too. Caldwell is sitting on 13, they'll all go past him before he plays another.

These guys are so young and so inexperienced, and yet it feels like they've been playing for ages, especially Draper.

I suppose ruckman take longer to develop, and losing 15 months to an ACL and 10 weeks to an ankle when he was ready has set him back.

He is only 22 though, and as he hasnt played a lot of footy and so the miles in his legs arent as high. We should get 10 good years out of him yet, injury permitting.

I would suggest he could be like Mumford (who just keeps sticking around), who like Draper hasnt got the athletic profile of a Naitinui or Ryder so he can use his size and physicality to remain effective into his thirties.

 

[faible]

I suppose ruckman take longer to develop, and losing 15 months to an ACL and 10 weeks to an ankle when he was ready has set him back.

He is only 22 though, and as he hasnt played a lot of footy and so the miles in his legs arent as high. We should get 10 good years out of him yet, injury permitting.

I would suggest he could be like Mumford (who just keeps sticking around), who like Draper hasnt got the athletic profile of a Naitinui or Ryder so he can use his size and physicality to remain effective into his thirties.

So you're saying Draper will be smashing lines and downing sausages whilst dropping on-field cheap shots?

 

[Fin ice Smuggler]

Will Draper come in for Dreamtime to help support Phillips until the roles can be reversed?

 

[TheGrizz]

So you're saying Draper will be smashing lines and downing sausages whilst dropping on-field cheap shots?

Probably not the characteristics I was eluding to, no...

 

[Tazdog]

So you're saying Draper will be smashing lines and downing sausages whilst dropping on-field cheap shots?

If he can be half as legendary as the great SAUSAGE then ill be happy
(in regards to the off field stuff)

Video: Suspected AFL player appears to snort white substance | Daily Mail Online

Former Sydney Swans and GWS AFL footballer Shane Mumford filmed snorting white substance off a table.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[eth-dog]

Another potential inclusion for the Dons’ trip to Launceston is ruckman Sam Draper, with the 22-year-old successfully recovering from a syndesmosis injury.

Murphy said the 205cm key tall had enjoyed two solid practice games and will be available for selection pending no setbacks during training this week.

“He’s actually played two games through scratch matches, and we’ve been able to get some really good minutes into him,” he said.

“He trained fully with the group on the weekend, and he’ll train fully across the week and be up for selection.”

Injury news: Smith, Draper loom for selection

The latest updates on Devon Smith, Sam Draper, Peter Wright and more.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[Zach Package]

Am I right in saying there was some kind of scratchie last weekend as well for all the Melbourne based players?

Can’t find any info about where or who but the above seemingly indicates he got some minutes in, which is great

 

[Lore]

Am I right in saying there was some kind of scratchie last weekend as well for all the Melbourne based players?

Can’t find any info about where or who but the above seemingly indicates he got some minutes in, which is great

12 v 12 with Richmond and North apparently. (It's mentioned in the video, in the bit about Cutler).

 

[blitzer]

Watching Draper wrestling with Hooker in a marking contest (in the injury video on EFC website) and winning. Geez he's a big unit is Draper. He may still be raw but he's not going to lose a lot of strength contests I'm thinking.

I'd be so happy for him if he could play the rest of the season and just stay fit for a sustained period. He's had a rough run.

 

[BrunoV]

Okay, big boy, time to play some footy.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Been watching Freo's Darcy for a few years and it has taken time but he is now dominating. Cannot wait for our unit to get the experience to control games. Darcy did a number on Chol...and Chol hurt our 2nd string ruck. And Sam's way more athletic than Darcy. Exciting times ahead if he remains fit.