So under what scenario would I take Oscar Allen?
To analyse this, you need to understand what has been taken and what options we may have left.
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So we have a list of 18 that are seen as being before or at our pick.
Forget any of the first 3 lines being there at 13. That takes out 9 players so half the field is certain.
Bonar has really risen into top 10 calculations with a successful return from injury, great combine and excellent showing late in the year. Who knows on him – views from Victoria is he and Brayshaw are the risers.
That takes it to 10 meaning 2 more to be selected prior to West Coast.
In the event that Clark and Constable were taken before any of the talls, then we will be faced with the dilemma of taking an O’Brien (an outside mid and may be the final act for uncle Rohan) or reaching for an inside mid or taking a tall.
I would not bid on Naish as he is not worth 13.
If Bonar was the only prospect left other than talls, provided our medical team are OK, no drama pulling the trigger.
In terms of the mids available at 20 to 30, they are pretty even so I would not want to reach as we have 3 good picks around the 21 to 32 mark. Some of the others are flankers that I do not think meet our needs (Murphy, Richards, Garner, etc).
So to talls. There would be a choice of Brander, Naughton, Hayes, Allen Balta as the talls touted for the first round. The order I place them is the order I would take them.
Allen for me is only the 4th best tall in the draft. I hear the shouts that he is clean below his knees and may be able to play as a mid. That is a bloody big gamble at pick 13. If he was not from WA, we would not even be talking about him. Would I be furious? No, just disappointed. I like him but he is not an area of need nor is he the best available tall at our pick.
Over the past 3 drafts, excluding rookies and father and sons, out of the 11 in the main draft we have only taken 1 West Australian.