2018 Draft thread

[Lions Lions]

There aren't many small/mid defenders with genuine pace rated in the top 35/40. Certainly not around our first pick.

Jez McLennan is a genuine smaller defender who shows good leadership, but is more suited to kicking the ball out of defence. Looks to be a natural replacement for Hodge.

Otherwise we're likely looking at which ever of the second tier mids slide to our first pick, or one of the small/general forwards.

Of those likely to be available around our first pick are; Xavier O'Halloran, Western Jets and Vic Metro captain, who is an inside outside mid, with good pace. Curtis Taylor who looks more likely to be a mid sized forward at AFL than a mid. Sam Sturt, a fast medium sized forward who plays a somewhat similar game to Jaidyn Stephenson. Zak Butters, who is a fast and skilful wing/HFF, who has missed a lot of the season due to shoulder surgery. And Ned McHenry who is a smaller contested mid, with very good endurance who is forced to play small forward due to his size.

McLennan is the one for me at 18.... i think he is in the frame too. If Lyons hadnt come on board i would have been looking at Liam Stocker but i feel he may be gone by the time our pushed back 18 pick rolls around anyway.

Half back is a big hole we can fill with McLennan... got 200 games written all over him as a hardworking smart halfback who can intercept mark and match up on either small or medium forwards.

 

[SizeMatters]

butters is interesting. Skills are lacking, decision making questionable but there is something about his awareness and ability to think through an unpredictable situation in close that excites me (doesn't look like he will get caught with ball much at all) . Has a good ability to be aware of his surroundings to give himself the best opportunity to dispose of the ball effectively, however his decision making lets him down a tad but his kicking skills need a lot of work, loopy. Great body control however doesn't looks like he will fill out that well, nor is he overly athletic. Don't know of his injury record but I reckon 20-25 for him. A poor mans Jack MacRae from the Dogs. If he develops well will be a top 15 player from this draft though.

 

[Brizzys Squizzy]

McLennan is the one for me at 18.... i think he is in the frame too. If Lyons hadnt come on board i would have been looking at Liam Stocker but i feel he may be gone by the time our pushed back 18 pick rolls around anyway.

Half back is a big hole we can fill with McLennan... got 200 games written all over him as a hardworking smart halfback who can intercept mark and match up on either small or medium forwards.

Agree and barracks for lions win win if he's gone before pick 18 I'd like Ely smith to be picked very quick and ready to play round 1

 

[T Rick]

Agree and barracks for lions win win if he's gone before pick 18 I'd like Ely smith to be picked very quick and ready to play round 1

Silly question - how do posters know which draftees barrack for the Lions - is this published somewhere?

 

[MacMum]

butters is interesting. Skills are lacking, decision making questionable but there is something about his awareness and ability to think through an unpredictable situation in close that excites me (doesn't look like he will get caught with ball much at all) . Has a good ability to be aware of his surroundings to give himself the best opportunity to dispose of the ball effectively, however his decision making lets him down a tad but his kicking skills need a lot of work, loopy. Great body control however doesn't looks like he will fill out that well, nor is he overly athletic. Don't know of his injury record but I reckon 20-25 for him. A poor mans Jack MacRae from the Dogs. If he develops well will be a top 15 player from this draft though.

Related to Saints ex Pres Rod Butters? Couldn't find anything one way or the other so not sure, unusual name made me wonder.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

"And another thing ... The Lions still have some wriggling to do with their list. They currently have three spots left and want to use four picks in the NAB AFL Draft. Watch for one player to be shifted from the primary list to the rookie list in the next few days." - Michael Whiting

 

[briztoon]

Silly question - how do posters know which draftees barrack for the Lions - is this published somewhere?

There was an interview with McLennan where he said he grew up supporting the Lions and holidaying on the Gold Coast, and would be happy to move away from home if drafted by the Gold Coast.

 

[jackess]

Will be very happy if Duursma slides to our pick

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...n/news-story/6927e08c91211d7d26762737852ef34a

 

[iBeng]

"And another thing ... The Lions still have some wriggling to do with their list. They currently have three spots left and want to use four picks in the NAB AFL Draft. Watch for one player to be shifted from the primary list to the rookie list in the next few days." - Michael Whiting

Money on Bastinac, or maybe Keays.

 

[winged1]

Money on Bastinac, or maybe Keays.

Lester

 

[iBeng]

Lester

He just signed a contract?

 

[winged1]

He just signed a contract?

For one year and the recruits push him further down the line. This year he will be there to provide experienced back up and some leadership in the NEAFL. Makes sense.

Keays and Bastinac are playing for their careers and i think wouldnt take kindly to that demotion.

 

[Dalions]

For one year and the recruits push him further down the line. This year he will be there to provide experienced back up and some leadership in the NEAFL. Makes sense.

Keays and Bastinac are playing for their careers and i think wouldnt take kindly to that demotion.

Bastinac is coming to the end, he knows that already.
The only reason he is playing on, is due to the $450k+/- that he will be receiving for next years contract!

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

Would that fill up our rookie lists?

 

[briztoon]

Will be very happy if Duursma slides to our pick

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...n/news-story/6927e08c91211d7d26762737852ef34a

All year I’ve said I would have loved the club to try and trade for a pick in the 11 to 15 range specifically to draft Duursma.

 

[chopperduck]

All year I’ve said I would have loved the club to try and trade for a pick in the 11 to 15 range specifically to draft Duursma.

Think getting Lyons will change our preference a little. We added a lot of ball winning ability, we need some more outside run, and Duursma fits that brief well enough. There are probably others who might be more suited, but we will like his leadership ability and versatility as well.

We do need to keep adding midfield depth, but i think it is now leaning more towards HB/mid types, rather than the inside or HF mid types.

 

[pulpdriver]

Likely to be bid on before McFadyen.

Blakey - Sydney
Thomas - North
Quaynor - Pies
West - Bulldogs
Kelly - Pies
Scott - North (Maybe)

Bulldogs first pick is 27 which is around the mark of where he might be bid on.

With North, Sydney and Pies trading out of the first and early second round, that sort of disincentivises teams bidding early on their kids.

If it takes two picks to match each bid, except for West, then 56 only moves up 5 spots.

It might take 3 picks for Sydney to match a bid on Blakey, but the 3rd pick can take a hit of about ~250 points, and the residual points still generate a new pick before 56.

Hmm hadn't even factored the residual points creating new picks but yeah, you're right, that pick really isn't gonna be moving up much after matched bids. Having a quick look at the picks those teams have for it to move up significantly we'd need Blakey to get a bid at 3, Thomas and West to get a bid inside the top 10 and Quaynor to get one inside 15. Gotta be no chance of that happening. Although with Whiting's comments we still will be moving someone to the rookie list there's no way we won't be able to pay for McFadyen even if we did trade up some of our earlier picks so I suppose it's all moot now.

 

[briztoon]

Hmm hadn't even factored the residual points creating new picks but yeah, you're right, that pick really isn't gonna be moving up much after matched bids. Having a quick look at the picks those teams have for it to move up significantly we'd need Blakey to get a bid at 3, Thomas and West to get a bid inside the top 10 and Quaynor to get one inside 15. Gotta be no chance of that happening. Although with Whiting's comments we still will be moving someone to the rookie list there's no way we won't be able to pay for McFadyen even if we did trade up some of our earlier picks so I suppose it's all moot now.

Thomas and Quaynor are both possibilities. Doubt Thomas is bid on inside the top 10. West more likely 15+.

 

[briztoon]

Think getting Lyons will change our preference a little. We added a lot of ball winning ability, we need some more outside run, and Duursma fits that brief well enough. There are probably others who might be more suited, but we will like his leadership ability and versatility as well.

We do need to keep adding midfield depth, but i think it is now leaning more towards HB/mid types, rather than the inside or HF mid types.

Duursma can play as a small/medium defender.

There doesn’t appear to be many HB in the top half of the draft. Clark is the class HB and is pushing top 10. Quaynor is tied to Collingwood. While McLennan is a smaller, more defensive version of Witherden.

 

[SizeMatters]

Duursma can play as a small/medium defender.

There doesn’t appear to be many HB in the top half of the draft. Clark is the class HB and is pushing top 10. Quaynor is tied to Collingwood. While McLennan is a smaller, more defensive version of Witherden.

Clark will be a midfielder at the next level. U18s positions mean jack all. He has excellent skills set to be a bordering on A grader mid.

 

[scott_the_man]

I like the idea of Zak Butters at pick 18. He's a former teammate of Cam Rayner at the Western Jets as well.

 

[Daniels Riches]

Had to have a laugh at this...I'm at the races and wearing a Lions tie. An older bloke just came up to me and said that he had some inside word on who Brisbane are looking at in the draft. This is dead set... "I've heard that if Rankine is still there at pick 18, then the Lions will be all over him".

 

[Nunez]

Had to have a laugh at this...I'm at the races and wearing a Lions tie. An older bloke just came up to me and said that he had some inside word on who Brisbane are looking at in the draft. This is dead set... "I've heard that if Rankine is still there at pick 18, then the Lions will be all over him".

He's not wrong

 

[winged1]

Had to have a laugh at this...I'm at the races and wearing a Lions tie. An older bloke just came up to me and said that he had some inside word on who Brisbane are looking at in the draft. This is dead set... "I've heard that if Rankine is still there at pick 18, then the Lions will be all over him".

But we will pass on Walsh....

 

[Kevvo]

For one year and the recruits push him further down the line. This year he will be there to provide experienced back up and some leadership in the NEAFL. Makes sense.

Keays and Bastinac are playing for their careers and i think wouldnt take kindly to that demotion.

Lester also played 15 senior games this year compared to Bastinac and Keays who combined for 4. It would surely be Bastinac before Lester.