Preview 2012 AFL Draft

[VitalDread]

It absolutely does. It's a ridiculous concept. Whats the incentive for the Dogs or Demons to fight out the last few rounds and try and rise from 14th to 9th? Lot of Dogs and Demon players with niggling injuries will be put on ice in the last 1/3 of the season. No point risking injury and actually winning games of footy when it's in your best interests not to.

Interesting in the NBA that there is a lot of discussion on tanking, with the Golden State Warriors clearly not having any interest in winning games so that they can retain their 1st round draft pick, as it's protected if the pick is number 7 or below. This says to me that the lottery works as a concept, as this is the first time i can remember discussions on tanking in the NBA since the Knicks tanked to get Patrick Ewing.

agreed with that pumpter

Plus if we do ice a few players it can give the rookies/new recruits a good solid crack of game time before next season when they will need to step up, and will also show who is deadwood. (i.e. If a senior player just shuts down and doesn't want to play as hard as he normally would.)

also, good to see someone from my hometown on this board.

 

[pumpter]

also, good to see someone from my hometown on this board.

Born in Traralgon, lived here my entire life, and will almost certainly die here.

Traralgon is steeped in Bulldogs tradition, with numerous players recruited from Traralgon, as it was the Bulldogs former recruiting zone. My old man went to school with Bernie Quinlan, and i played a couple of seasons of footy with former Bulldog players Alan Jennings and Peter Munro, although they were well and truly in the twilight of their careers by then.

 

[Butane]

It would be nice to finish below Melbourne this year so there compensation pick doesn't get in front of ours. That's what makes this weeks game against them so interesting.

We can be as cynical as we like about it but try and think of it as a win-win situation. Win the game, great! lose the game and we're that much closer to 2 picks in the top 5 of a super draft.

 

[Dazb86]

It would be a disaster if we lost. Have you seen Melbourne play this year?

 

[G-Mo77]

It would be a disaster if we lost. Have you seen Melbourne play this year?

We're not much better either. I've picked Melbourne.

 

[Dazb86]

We're not much better either. I've picked Melbourne.

Going on last weeks form sure. I've watched all of Melbournes games so far. They are seriously bad.

 

[Super Hans]

Also talke note there is another mini draft this year. Given that we had a massive crack at Brad Crouch (pick #2) I wouldn't be suprised if we have another crack.


Two top 8 picks, Hunter, mini draft pick, etc.

Should put the club in good stead.

 

[Igloo]

Also talke note there is another mini draft this year. Given that we had a massive crack at Brad Crouch (pick #2) I wouldn't be suprised if we have another crack.


Two top 8 picks, Hunter, mini draft pick, etc.

Should put the club in good stead.

Would much rather draft someone who can play next year. We need game experience into our young guys, especially given this is such a strong draft.

I'll be disappointed if we try for a mini draft pick, since it's pretty much a certainty it would cost a first rounder + something else.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Would much rather draft someone who can play next year. We need game experience into our young guys, especially given this is such a strong draft.

I'll be disappointed if we try for a mini draft pick, since it's pretty much a certainty it would cost a first rounder + something else.

I agree. Rather pick up two stunners in the draft, than a gangly 17yo

 

[Dogs Rule]

I'd be happy for us not to embarass ourselves on Sunday or at any time during the rest of the season.

If we start tanking for draft picks, we risk a lot more than losing, we risk alienating a whole bunch of supporters and putting the club back years. Plus, there's no guarantee high draft picks will get us a flag.

Cooney, Griffen, Ray, Williams....it hasn't worked yet.

 

[tonydean]

The only problem is we really have no choice other than to tank at the moment. When you look at our current list, we have a raft of injuries, some guys that will never make it, and some that are nearly finished.

The next two years are going to be very trying for our club.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

No way known we are tanking. We just have that horrible transition between some players getting too old, and some players are too young and inexperienced as of yet. We didn't get the balance right

 

[stefoid]

From Knightmares phantom 2012 - two clay smiths? Plus wallis and libba. okay..we really need some foot speed combined with elite disposal skills to compliment those guys.

So if we could get a Toumpas or a Menzel, that would be great.

#25 Western Bull Dogs- Lachie Hunter (VIC - Mid) F/S
Height: 181cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 13/12/1994
Recruited from: Western Jets
Style:
Player comparison: Clay Smith
Range: 2nd/3rd round
Profile: Lachie is yet another of those Western Bull Dogs inside midfielders via the F/S rule. Really strong inside ball winner and has a great attack on the footy winning that inside ball consistently. Solid tackler and makes his tackles stick. By hand very good and in congestion typically makes the right decisions. The big area that needs work is his kicking which at this stage really lacks the consistency and misses too many targets.

 

[Palace03]

As much as I know it is benficial for us to tank, I just can't stomach it. We are ordinary enough this year to loose enough games to get 2 high picks, so I hope we go out and smash Melbourne tommorow and get on with it.

It looks like we will end up with 2 picks in the top 10 and Hunter anyway, so it is absolutley vital Darlymple gets these 2 right and nabs 2, 200 game stars. If he drafts a 'project' player with either of these picks I'll be massively dissapointed. Get them right and it will set us up for another flag tilt in a few years.

 

[Sharkey66]

I think we went down the road of picking project players this year, with Redpath and Jong, and to a lesser extent Cambell and Dickson.

Best available this year.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

I think we went down the road of picking project players this year, with Redpath and Jong, and to a lesser extent Cambell and Dickson.

Best available this year.

True, but with a compromised draft we didn't have anything to lose.

I can pick out six players that will be gone at the end of the year, so six picks in a superdraft with three in the top 25 - I will take that, and I don't think we need to tank to get them.

 

[dogsbody]

I think we went down the road of picking project players this year, with Redpath and Jong, and to a lesser extent Cambell and Dickson.

Best available this year.

I'd have thought that Dickson, Redpath & Campbell were picked to complement the Vezpremi & Sherman age group. It's a bit adventurous pickeing them from outside the competition instead of recycled players but it could come off.

 

[Super Hans]

We are currently going to get picks 5 & 6, Stringer is almost certain to be taken by then. If we can get Mason Shaw we must, the big KPF we need.

 

[Sharkey66]

I'd have thought that Dickson, Redpath & Campbell were picked to complement the Vezpremi & Sherman age group. It's a bit adventurous pickeing them from outside the competition instead of recycled players but it could come off.

Agreed mate, but the are still more or less projects (aside from Cambell maybe) but as DRB pointed out it was a compromised draft and we really didnt have that much to lose.
I was originally responding to Palace03 post about getting the draft right this year and the club picked their projects last draft, and did fairly well in my opinion filling both an age and positional deficiency .

 

[dogzrule]

True, but with a compromised draft we didn't have anything to lose.

I can pick out six players that will be gone at the end of the year, so six picks in a superdraft with three in the top 25 - I will take that, and I don't think we need to tank to get them.

Only six, maybe more if the side continues to under perform. We may go harder at cleaning out the older brigade

Care to name yours ?

 

[Anja_Nees]

I'd be happy enough with two top ten picks. No need to tank for more. If the talent pool runs as deep as they say in this draft then we should be able to snag two talented players and Hunter a bit later.

I'd also like to see us take a conservative approach and pick the two players most likely to make it, rather than high risk/high reward players. That said, if Hunter is another Wallis/Smith/Libba type then we probably need to focus more on skill and pace.

 

[dogzrule]

I'd be happy enough with two top ten picks. No need to tank for more. If the talent pool runs as deep as they say in this draft then we should be able to snag two talented players and Hunter a bit later.

I'd also like to see us take a conservative approach and pick the two players most likely to make it, rather than high risk/high reward players. That said, if Hunter is another Wallis/Smith/Libba type then we probably need to focus more on skill and pace.

Totally agree we need players who can finis and desperately need pace

 

[doggies ftw]

I also think best available would be the way to go, but with the first 2 picks we really do need skilful mids with pace, then Hunter, then best available, IMO.

 

[wian]

Do we have to use the Cal Ward compo this season?

2 picks in the top 10 sounds pretty promising, or even 2 in the top 5 if we're stupidly bad...

sorry if its already been explained, but can you please remind me if we say finish 4th bottom,what picks we will get in the next draft please?

I know we will have 2 in the top 10, but what picks will we have in the first 3 rounds pls?

cheers

 

[100action]

if melbourne, GWS and GC finish below us our best possible picks are 5 and 6.