2012 Draft Discussion

[POBT]

Geez, it seems like we've got a lot of draft experts this year. Unfortunately, it is becoming quite obvious which posters have first hand knowledge and which posters are pretending to be an expert. If you are in the latter group, do us all a favour - stop pretending you are a draft guru. Leave it to those who have spent hundreds of hours watching and analysing the draft prospects.

To clarify - opinions are fine. Discussions are fine. Pretending you are the greatest talent spotter since G.Hadley is not.

edit: this post is not directed at any one individual.

 

[jackess]

I'm a draft expert... But only in hindsight. I'll tell who we should draft this year but you'll have to wait a couple of years.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Kristian Jaksch looks like he could be a good fit for us. He seems to be able to take a contested mark which is what our recruiters are looking for in regards to a Key forward. He looks a very good size and already weighs 83KG. I am not sure I am that keen to see us draft a tall with our first pick though. Another gun midfielder would be very nice.

 

[dlanod]

At pick 8, Kerr will get the best avaliable. Last couple couple of years we went need needs basis and we got Polec and Longer. Polec and Longer will be good players, but if Kerr drafted on the basis of best avaliable we would of have Toby Greene and Dyson Heppell at our club. I know last year we wanted Greene at pick 8 but we had no ruckmen on out list to backup Luenberger so we drafted Longer instead of Toby Greene with our first pick.

I think you're looking back with 20/20 hindsight. Greene wasn't rated a top 10 talent last year - the "word" was that we'd get Tomlinson with pick 8 and Greene with 12. Heppell and Polec were rated very closely. If we drafted with your system of "best available", we'd have a premiership winning team because we'd nail every single pick. You're also the first person I've seen to consider Longer a "need" pick...

 

[Bucking Beads]

Looks likely that the Suns will take Clay Cameron as a Zone selection

GOLD Coast is expected to pounce on another talented junior, with the imminent signing of highly-rated Queensland key position player Clay Cameron.

With an announcement expected as early as Monday, Cameron will join the Suns under the club's Queensland zoning allowance.

http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=149677

 

[chopperduck]

Still waiting to see if we will go for any zone selections this year. With Claye going to the GC, who would be the next likely canidates, and does anything think the club would look at any of them? We've shown we usually go down this path, however with academy kids coming next year, i'm no longer sure if we will pick up anyone this year.

 

[Mayestro]

Looks likely that the Suns will take Clay Cameron as a Zone selection



http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=149677

Disappointing but not unexpected. He looked pretty handy.

I like the look of Jaksch but agree with others that it'd be reaching to grab him at 8.

I'm coming around to Wines- an A grade clearance type we need after Blacky retires.

For the last few years we've neglected our KPP stocks so it wouldn't bother me too much using our later picks on them. I quite like Knightmare's draft for us- Mayes at 8, Tanner Smith (a handy shutdown KPD) at 23, Tim O'Brien at 30 and Bourke (the Queensland KPP) at 49. This gives us McKeever, Clarke, Smith and Tickner as our developing KPD, and Lilse, Michael, O'Brien and Bourke as our KPFs.

 

[Fatcat08]

Longer was a "best available" selection as well. There no evidence to suggest the club thought otherwise.



Polec and Heppell were line ball according to Kerr. In that case, they felt that Polec fit the needs better and that pushed him ahead. Still fair enough to say that he was a "best available" pick too.

The same point was made by the same poster about 8 or so pages back and refuted with the same comments you made here TBD. Seems some people, rather than discussing points made in response to their posts simply want to try to re-state the same things over again.

Going to be a frustrating time until after the draft if the same things continue to happen

 

[Nick Lions]

I'm sure I saw in the trade and draft period review, from last year, that Kerr rated Longer as the best available talent and that they had expected him to go higher.

Edit: Seems I missed a page, a lot of people have beaten me to the punch there.

 

[Bert Man]

We cannot judge players like Longer and Polec against players like Greene and Heppel. Both our boys are two players who were never going to make an immediate impact at AFL compared to Greene and Heppel. I and I'm sure many other people on bigfooty hope that these respective decisions to draft these players will pay off, patience is a rare virtue and is one that is needed when your team is climbing up the ladder. You can't judge a player after both players had both their first seasons injury interrupted and in Polecs case a little bit of his second season also had his fair share of injuries in 2012.

Who remembers Polecs first quarter of AFL where he had 11 disposals? And his game as sub against Freo in round 3? Who remembers Longer got 15 disposals and 25 hitouts VS GWS? And when Leuy went down and Billy rucked versus arguably the best ruckman in the AFL and got a commanding 19 hitouts in his debut game?
It's a shame people are quick to forget

 

[whatboutbob]

Just noting we interviewed Thurlow:

Also taking part last week was Lonergan's great mate Jackson Thurlow whose facial injury, suffered in Launceston's semi-final loss to Burnie last month, didn't restrict him.
The only test the defender was unable to take part in was the clean hands.
``(Even with the injury) you have to put your hand up,'' Thurlow said.
``It was a good experience and it's the dream to get on an AFL list.''
Richmond, Port, Adelaide, North Melbourne, Melbourne, Carlton, Brisbane and his beloved St Kilda were some of the clubs to speak to Thurlow.

 

[cmt26]

We cannot judge players like Longer and Polec against players like Greene and Heppel. Both our boys are two players who were never going to make an immediate impact at AFL compared to Greene and Heppel. I and I'm sure many other people on bigfooty hope that these respective decisions to draft these players will pay off, patience is a rare virtue and is one that is needed when your team is climbing up the ladder. You can't judge a player after both players had both their first seasons injury interrupted and in Polecs case a little bit of his second season also had his fair share of injuries in 2012.

Who remembers Polecs first quarter of AFL where he had 11 disposals? And his game as sub against Freo in round 3? Who remembers Longer got 15 disposals and 25 hitouts VS GWS? And when Leuy went down and Billy rucked versus arguably the best ruckman in the AFL and got a commanding 19 hitouts in his debut game?
It's a shame people are quick to forget

Yep, it's a marathon not a sprint in regards to player development. Some players take a lot longer. Remember Day was taken before Polec and has not showed much, Bennell was very quiet in his debut year, and took a big leap this year. Pitt, Cook, Jacobs & Gorringe are other top 20 draftees from that year who haven't showed much, thus far.

 

[irel]

Just noting we interviewed Thurlow:

It would be interesting if we can get the full list of players interviewed. It may give us an idea of what we are looking for or it may actually confuse us even more. Clubs often try to throw each other off track with their interest and recruiting strategies kept well and truly tucked close to the chest. Often after the fact we hear of players say "I didn't know that Brisbane was even interested, I was not interviewed by their recruiters"

 

[Quigley]

I think you're looking back with 20/20 hindsight. Greene wasn't rated a top 10 talent last year - the "word" was that we'd get Tomlinson with pick 8 and Greene with 12. Heppell and Polec were rated very closely. If we drafted with your system of "best available", we'd have a premiership winning team because we'd nail every single pick. You're also the first person I've seen to consider Longer a "need" pick...

He was rated in the top 10 by some

I had him at 6 and when I saw him in person again at the draft I thought this was underselling it a bit. From June/July until November he had bulked up and still looked very fit. The kid just looked ready to go and that level of professionalism on top of his ball winning ability said a lot to me. He was pretty much my first bench player selected last year for DT.

 

[luthor]

Clubs often try to throw each other off track with their interest and recruiting strategies kept well and truly tucked close to the chest. Often after the fact we hear of players say "I didn't know that Brisbane was even interested, I was not interviewed by their recruiters"

As far as strategies go, I'd be surprised if everyone hasn't got a pretty good idea what everyone else is interested in.

Point 2: I've never seen or heard any player quoted as not even knowing about their drafting club was interested...much lesss "often"

Like to see an example of it though, if ya got one

 

[irel]

As far as strategies go, I'd be surprised if everyone hasn't got a pretty good idea what everyone else is interested in.

Point 2: I've never seen or heard any player quoted as not even knowing about their drafting club was interested...much lesss "often"

Like to see an example of it though, if ya got one

Ohgeesluthorwhythehellareyoumakingmelookforstufflikethat.
Yeah generally clubs are pretty much on top of what they are all looking at and their level of interest, especially at the top end of the draft. It becomes a bit more subjective in the latter stages of the draft. YeahOKcontradiction

 

[dlanod]

Did we even talk to Rich? I seem to recall something along those lines when he fell to us.

Other than that, I remember a couple of times later in the draft where the draftee hadn't even spoken to the club that drafted him and was quite surprised, but I couldn't name names. I seem to recall Port in the Choco days pulling it a couple of times.

 

[13Beast]

He was rated in the top 10 by some

I had him at 6 and when I saw him in person again at the draft I thought this was underselling it a bit. From June/July until November he had bulked up and still looked very fit. The kid just looked ready to go and that level of professionalism on top of his ball winning ability said a lot to me. He was pretty much my first bench player selected last year for DT.

Hrovat is this draft's Toby Greene

 

[Quigley]

Hawksley, Sheldon, Drummond and Stiller.

It would not surprise me if we took a HBFer and Thurlow is a guy we might get at a reasonable price. We like shopping at the discount Tassie store and he could be the value buy of this year. He picked up 40 odd possessions against Metro from memory. He looks to go backwards a bit too much but I don't mind him at all in that 40+ bracket. I would compare him to Boston pretty favourably but then I am not as high on Boston as many.

 

[Voss the boss]

Like to see an example of it though, if ya got one

Pretty sure Matty Maguire had no idea Brisbane were interested (on an SEN interview that i cant find), but i could be wrong.

 

[Quigley]

Hrovat is this draft's Toby Greene

Hrovat is 173cm tall and that makes a big difference at AFL level. He will get picked but not anywhere near where Greene went. Greene is much the better runner than Hrovat and better mark (Hrovat is okay but is 173cm). Greene is cleaner inside and gets open much much more easily on the outside. Hrovat is pretty good at burrowing into the clearances and winning them and is solid on the outside. His kicking is good whilst Greene's I would classify as average to below average.

 

[whatboutbob]

 

[Bobby Beecroft]

Pretty sure Matty Maguire had no idea Brisbane were interested (on an SEN interview that i cant find), but i could be wrong.

I recall a particular poster from these parts with a good draft whispers track record mentioning prior to the draft that this was likely to occur. So personally I wasn't suprised when his name was read, & by association I would think Matty would have had some idea.

 

[Voss the boss]

I recall a particular poster from these parts with a good draft whispers track record mentioning prior to the draft that this was likely to occur. So personally I wasn't suprised when his name was read, & by association I would think Matty would have had some idea.

well if that was the case - that would make sense that he would know. Back to the drawing board haha

 

[crispy creme]

Hrovat is 173cm tall and that makes a big difference at AFL level. He will get picked but not anywhere near where Greene went. Greene is much the better runner than Hrovat and better mark (Hrovat is okay but is 173cm). Greene is cleaner inside and gets open much much more easily on the outside. Hrovat is pretty good at burrowing into the clearances and winning them and is solid on the outside. His kicking is good whilst Greene's I would classify as average to below average.

Height is a concern for Nathan, although after the combine he is now listed at 175.9cm - still relatively short but a bit more appealing.