2017 Draft thread

[WA Lion]

For draft watchers this might be of interest - Ballenden selected but no Clayton - assuming he is injured given he didn't play for our academy in R1 either?

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-04-05/two-years-of-talent-on-show-in-mcg-curtain-raiser

Be interesting to watch a lot of the names being hyped for this year

 

[briztoon]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-08-03/fatherson-prospects-headline-latest-afl-academy-squad

 

[LongLion]

He actually has a choice of 3 clubs doesn't he?

Yep, North as well.

 

[Eons]

Offer Blakey massive offers to join our assistant coaching team and he will be ours.

 

[briztoon]

For draft watchers this might be of interest - Ballenden selected but no Clayton - assuming he is injured given he didn't play for our academy in R1 either?

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-04-05/two-years-of-talent-on-show-in-mcg-curtain-raiser

Be interesting to watch a lot of the names being hyped for this year

Again, looks like very lopsided teams. TEAM WEITERING absolutely loaded with both elite 2017 and 2018 draft prospects.

 

[briztoon]

Just an update on my horse in the draft.

Cut & paste from Knightmare espn draft wrap.
Playing impactful football through the midfield, James Worpel secured 22 disposals, 12 contested possessions, six tackles, seven clearances, nine inside 50s and one goal. The 185cm, 84kg midfielder appears to be one of the most ready-to-go in this draft class with an AFL body and a great appetite for the contest.

Picture from last years U18 Championships. (Can't wait to see what he looks like this year)

 

[Cockliff38]

What's the bet Worpel will be like Brodie all over again - Talked up all year as a 1-2 pick then slightly slide closer to draft night

 

[Tesla Tenet]

Yop j.

Sent from my SM-T805Y using Tapatalk

 

[briztoon]

What's the bet Worpel will be like Brodie all over again - Talked up all year as a 1-2 pick then slightly slide closer to draft night

Nah, Worpel is generally viewed in the 8 to 18 range. My genuine hope is that we can draft Worpel with Ports pick. Or if we have to use Ports pick to match a bid on Ballenden, Worpal slides our second round pick.

 

[briztoon]

There's about 5 players in the 1-2 pick range when you look at the different draft posters.

 

[briztoon]

Was mentioned on AFL 360 tonight, Champion Data has done an analysis of drafted players versus games played.

Going off memory, 144 current players have played 100 games or more. 112 of these were picked up in the national draft. With 50% being a round 1 pick. Now I am not sure if it's 50% of 144 or 112.

I forget how many 200 gamers there were, but 70% we first round draft picks.

 

[jjami15]

Nah, Worpel is generally viewed in the 8 to 18 range. My genuine hope is that we can draft Worpel with Ports pick. Or if we have to use Ports pick to match a bid on Ballenden, Worpal slides our second round pick.

Also have to take into account risers and sliders. Outside of Beams, Rockliff and Zorko which really is our senior midfield the rest are draftees or those who want make it showing the great need for more midfield depth. If Ballenden wasn't an acadmey prospect I would be hoping for 3 midfielders to be drafted but with him there then both to be picked on mids which the club has also stated as our focus. It would be great if we could jag a rookie pick or two over the next few season.

 

[13Beast]

I'd be stoked with two elite midfielders with our two top 10 picks (ours + Ports), and selecting young Connor from the academy.
A small forward would be nice, but I don't think its quite as pressing a need as an injection of more class into the midfield to set up our spine for the future. Leaves us with a bit of flexibility with someone like Christensen to play further up the field, or as I said before, McLuggage to moonlight a bit up forward. Great thing about drafting elite goal-kicking mids (i.e. McLuggage) is that they have the skill set to excel in a number of positions, (play inside, outside or push up forward), which certainly eases the pressure somewhat in drafting a pure small forward to address needs. FWIW, we could scope out a small forward in 2nd or later rounds and might get lucky there. Alternatively, draft a mature ager from state leagues.

 

[Quigley]

Nah, Worpel is generally viewed in the 8 to 18 range. My genuine hope is that we can draft Worpel with Ports pick. Or if we have to use Ports pick to match a bid on Ballenden, Worpal slides our second round pick.

The people I have talked to certainly do not have him that low. He could possibly slip out of the top 5 but personally I do not see it. I rate him quite a bit higher than I did Brodie.

 

[spotthedog1]

Quigs - how much of his play is based on the fact that he's more physically developed than his competitors though? The small amount of clips I've seen, he's looked more like a man versing children, just based on size. That obviously won't happen at the top level. That's my only real concern RE Worpel.

 

[Quigley]

Quigs - how much of his play is based on the fact that he's more physically developed than his competitors though? The small amount of clips I've seen, he's looked more like a man versing children, just based on size. That obviously won't happen at the top level. That's my only real concern RE Worpel.

That is a fair point but you still need to look at the way he goes about it. I thought he was one of the best for VC last year playing as a bottom ager. He did not enjoy a significant size advantage over those players last year and yet he was very effective. He reminds me quite a lot of Joel Selwood and I am not seeing many teams passing on him to go with others who are more stylish but may lack the substance that Worpel has.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

What's the bet Worpel will be like Brodie all over again - Talked up all year as a 1-2 pick then slightly slide closer to draft night

I wonder who this year's Oliver/Taranto will be.

 

[a mayes ing]

Even if they are bigger in size, it can still translate to the top. SPP has done really well even tho he was bigger than many of his peers. Same with Brodie (Based on JLT)

 

[Dalions]

Even if they are bigger in size, it can still translate to the top. SPP has done really well even tho he was bigger than many of his peers. Same with Brodie (Based on JLT)

Ollie wines, Petracca.
There would be heaps of blokes that have bigger bodies, but can use it at AFL level.

 

[briztoon]

I wonder who this year's Oliver/Taranto will be.

I'd look at the two western jets boys, Cameron Raynor and Lachlan Fogarty to start with.

 

[briztoon]

The people I have talked to certainly do not have him that low. He could possibly slip out of the top 5 but personally I do not see it. I rate him quite a bit higher than I did Brodie.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees him as near elite. He hasn't been talked up much by the draft pundits compared to quite a few others.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I'd look at the two western jets boys, Cameron Raynor and Lachlan Fogarty to start with.

Yes have seen them both first hand this year. Very impressive and their numbers are already high so not under the radar types like Oliver (2015) and Taranto last year.

 

[spotthedog1]

That is a fair point but you still need to look at the way he goes about it. I thought he was one of the best for VC last year playing as a bottom ager. He did not enjoy a significant size advantage over those players last year and yet he was very effective. He reminds me quite a lot of Joel Selwood and I am not seeing many teams passing on him to go with others who are more stylish but may lack the substance that Worpel has.

Cheers Quigs. That's good insight.

 

[briztoon]

Yes have seen them both first hand this year. Very impressive and their numbers are already high so not under the radar types like Oliver (2015) and Taranto last year.

I don't believe Taranto was under the radar last year. He was always talked about as a top 30 player around that 18 to 25 bracket.

Then by the TAC finals he was spoken about as a top 10 to 12 prospect.

Then a couple of weeks out from the draft started being spoken about as a possible 6 to 10 draftee.

Then a couple of days out from the draft, the media draft analysts started talking about Taranto as a possible pick 2 if Essendon drafted McGrath first.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I don't believe Taranto was under the radar last year. He was always talked about as a top 30 player around that 18 to 25 bracket.

Then by the TAC finals he was spoken about as a top 10 to 12 prospect.

Then a couple of weeks out from the draft started being spoken about as a possible 6 to 10 draftee.

Then a couple of days out from the draft, the media draft analysts started talking about Taranto as a possible pick 2 if Essendon drafted McGrath first.

That's a fair synopsis. Perhaps late bolter would be more apt. He certainly was not in top 10 contention (let alone top 3) until very late in the piece, much as with Oliver. I tend to see mainly Dragons, Stingrays and Bushies the most and frankly he was also not that impressive early on last season. But just shows how players at the age develop so differently and how hard it is to predict who will succeed at senior level and who won't.