2012 draft

[tigs2010]

Wouldn't mind. Can play.

He was the other Quayle linked us to. Brett Anderson has Nathan Wright. Both HBF's who can push into midfield. I think Thurlow could be a very good long term footballer. Appears to have that wiry Shane Tuck frame.

 

[Damo80]

Why would you pay Pick 9, for a player that needs 3-4 years of development, when you can pay pick 37 for Maric, and have him come in the top3 of your Best and fairest in his first year? or better still get another ruckman at 25-26 yrs old for free in free agency.

Perhaps because you could also end up paying pick 17 for Cam Wood?

There's a few factors at play, not just free agency, but i foresee less rucks getting taken, particularly the middle of the road ones, but the clear elite talents will be like gold.

 

[blaisee]

Although I agree with your logic, I think most in the Grundy camp are saying he won't need 3-4 years of development to start. He is right to go now. He is not a 200cm+ beanpole who needs 3-4 preseasons to get to a body size for AFL, and then start his gametime development for another 2-3 years. Most are like this I agree, and so age 24-25 they are right to go. Could he be competitive in games NEXT year...many say yes and therefore the top 10 ranking. Then also think what a player like NikNat will cost to get when he is 25-26 if he keeps improving like he is. Then there is the argument of FA picking up mids....Grigg et al.

can you please name me another 18 yr old ruckman in the history of the draft that has been ready to go in his first year?

Because I dont know of one, even in the best case scenario of a nicnat situation who is a once in a lifetime athletic beast, he made all australian in his 4th year, and there is an argument to say he didnt deserve it.

 

[Del65166]

kruezer

 

[Harmichael]

I think the anti-Grundy brigade are assuming that our draft picks are going to play 20+ games this year. Whilst I'd prefer certain current players to be replaced sooner rather than later, it's not 2010 anymore, who says the new kids will play more than a handful of games, if not any at all?

Grundy at 9 and Sam Lonergan as a DFA would be the best of both worlds IMO.

 

[blaisee]

kruezer

great example

he averaged 10 disposals and 9 hit outs in his first year, and over his 5 year career so far, has averaged 12 disposal 2.5 marks and 16 hit outs.

Great example as to why a ruckman is a big mistake to take in the first round. Compare his influence on games to that of the player taken next in the draft at No 2 ....

 

[Tigerbob]

Grundy is simply a better player. Forget about positional wise.

Won't matter anyway, Port woke up. Looks headed there.

 

[Harmichael]

Grundy is simply a better player. Forget about positional wise.

Won't matter anyway, Port woke up. Looks headed there.

Yep it's all moot really.Think the Vlastuin fanboys will get their wish.

As I said - won't be unhappy as long as Reg goes before, not after.

 

[The Process]

Grundy is simply a better player. Forget about positional wise.

Won't matter anyway, Port woke up. Looks headed there.

It was only a matter of time before they did.

 

[tigs2010]

I think the anti-Grundy brigade are assuming that our draft picks are going to play 20+ games this year. Whilst I'd prefer certain current players to be replaced sooner rather than later, it's not 2010 anymore, who says the new kids will play more than a handful of games, if not any at all?

Grundy at 9 and Sam Lonergan as a DFA would be the best of both worlds IMO.

I don't think there is a huge anti-Grundy brigade. I may come across that way but I've just been defending Vlastuin from the calls that he is ordinary.

 

[blaisee]

i am not anti Grundy,i am anti a ruckman and pro a genuine inside/outside midfielder

 

[DoItForCaptBlood]

kruezer

Yes..that was hard, wasn't it!

 

[CallMeAl]

Footy smarts > Athletic ability
Quick mind > quick feet
Good decision maker > good kick
Composure > confidence player.
Work ethic > Natural talent

So True!

 

[DoItForCaptBlood]

great example

he averaged 10 disposals and 9 hit outs in his first year, ....

Very good 1st year I would suggest, and makes the point he was ready to go as an 18 year old ruckman. Whether he went on to dominate the game is irrelevant. Many first round first year mids also have similar stats and also don't improve much from there. It is always a risk at this age obviously. BTW I am in the mid camp, but wouldn't be upset if we took Grundy @ pick 9 as some seem to be!

 

[CallMeAl]

If this is true then then I have real doubts that our recruiting team has the ability to deliver the players necessary for us to win our 11th premiership. Indeed If they picked a Corr at 9 (a good pick at say 32) then the first thing the club should do is terminate the recruiting teams contracts and pay whatever they have to to get someone like Steve Wells from Geelong. I have real concerns about this. To much vanilla, to much lets just get the solid player and take no chance attitude. There doesnt seem to be any risk reward analysis if we continue to select this type of player. Having said all that Vlastuin isnt as bad as some are saying but if players like Grundy or Mayes are on the board and they dont get picked then its a disgrace.

Yet if they took a chance on a higher risk, higher reward pick and we ended up with a mitch thorpe type who was delisted after 3 years you'd be one of the first bagging the club for not getting the all important first round selection right.

If in 5 years time you have a good player but someone else has a (arguably) better player that you overlooked, no one really cares. what really hurts is if you select one of the 2 or 3out of top dozen or so picks, that bust every year. Something we had more than our fair share of.

 

[cairo tiger]

we have developing mids- we dont have a developing ruck...ffs grundy can play now.
it is a no brainer we must take grundy. we can also pick up blokes like aitkins etc later.

WE MUST TAKE GRUND

 

[richoatthedisco]

He was the other Quayle linked us to. Brett Anderson has Nathan Wright. Both HBF's who can push into midfield. I think Thurlow could be a very good long term footballer. Appears to have that wiry Shane Tuck frame.

I reckon he's better than Wright. Plays forward as well.

 

[Harmichael]

I don't think there is a huge anti-Grundy brigade. I may come across that way but I've just been defending Vlastuin from the calls that he is ordinary.

I'm just perplexed at all this talk of him as a replacement for Tuck and Jackson -as much as I love Tucky (Jackson-not so much)- I'd want our first round pick to be a lot more that just that, have way more strings to their bow and be considerably more talented.(Not saying Vlastuin doesn't/isn't) As I keep saying - replacing Tuck & upgrading on Jackson shouldn't cost a first round pick. Pick 34 at the earliest or better yet, getting Lonergan as a DFA would pretty much do the same trick for a lot cheaper.

I know Grundy won't fix it - but I'm also worried that we seem building a team that's a bit on the slow side. We badly need pace and I would hope just relying on former GF sprint winner King and retaining a dud like White -who's not as fast as he was anyway (see last round of 2011)- isn't the whole extent of Hardwick's plan in that regard. Hope at least one of our later picks has some speed about them.


Think it tells us something about our stocks of quick players when we had to resort to entering Rance in the GF sprint in 2011.

 

[UpTheGuts]

great example

he averaged 10 disposals and 9 hit outs in his first year, and over his 5 year career so far, has averaged 12 disposal 2.5 marks and 16 hit outs.

Great example as to why a ruckman is a big mistake to take in the first round. Compare his influence on games to that of the player taken next in the draft at No 2 ....

Would Kreuzer have been a bad pick at what is effectively pick 12/13?

 

[richoatthedisco]

Not sure why anyone would think a bloke delisted from Essendon's midfield is going to improve us.

 

[Harmichael]

Not sure why anyone would think a bloke delisted from Essendon's midfield is going to improve us.

The same team Houli couldn't get a game for?

A player delisted from an Essendon District team's midfield would be an improvement on Jackson.

 

[UpTheGuts]

Another mock draft: http://boundforglorynews.com/2012-afl-phantom-draft/

 

[tigs2010]

Not sure why anyone would think a bloke delisted from Essendon's midfield is going to improve us.

When Ellis got tired this year we had to keep playing him. When the same inevitably happens to Vlastuin we have a ready made replacement. Same thing if Foley gets injured again. As the 39th/40th bloke added to the list he'd be good value knowing he can at least play to the level.

 

[richoatthedisco]

The same team Houli couldn't get a game for?

A player delisted from an Essendon District team's midfield would be an improvement on Jackson.

Jackson barely played a game in our midfield and Houli would have got a game under Hird. Lonergan is a poor man's Tuck and we don't need him. Essendon has no depth in midfield outside Watson< Goddard and Stanton and didn't deem him good enough. Says it all.

 

[CallMeAl]

we have developing mids- we dont have a developing ruck...ffs grundy can play now.
it is a no brainer we must take grundy. we can also pick up blokes like aitkins etc later.

WE MUST TAKE GRUND

Why are you so confident that he wont want to go home before he has played his best footy?