2019 Draft thread

[pauldrc]

FWIW eDPS had Robertson at 4 on his final rankings.....

Pretty decent numbers for an inside mid also at the U 18 Champs:

2019 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships averaging 30 disposals (including 11.8 contested), 6.8 tackles and 4.8 clearances.

 

[FFB1]

If he plays as an inside mid, below par kicking is not necessarily a deal breaker. And I’m not convinced his kicking is all that bad.

Matt Crouch had a similar knock on him in his draft year and has become an All Australian midfielder. Winning the footy in tight and a top handball tends to get you games, even if your kicking isn’t great.

Treloar is one of the best butcher’s going around and he’d step straight into our 22. So is Dylan Shiel for that matter.

 

[DashinD]

Hmmm... in regards to Devens kicking. The limited vision I’ve seen, his kicking is somewhat reminiscent of M Robbos kicking this year.. which, considering the contested strength of our game, has been a good thing. Win the ball, get it moving forward and back our next player in line to win it again or at least create a stoppage. In fact in some cases in his highlights, it looked like a hack kick but he seemed to take that extra half second to hack it to an advantageous position. Pretty hard to lace someone out when there’s 6 guys within a three metre radius.

 

[martinson]

Treloar is one of the best butcher’s going around and he’d step straight into our 22. So is Dylan Shiel for that matter.

I guess the thing about Shiel is that he's a thumping kick when he has to be . It's his kicks to position that can go astray..

Personally I think kicking got underrated when they started doing all the athletic testing on the draftees . I'd rather draft a footballer than an athlete, some guys are never going to dispose to position however much coaching they get . But guys like Hodge who was good to start with got better disposal wise as his career went on. The pace of the game now means that you need that inner radar that automatically clicks in when you get the ball , I'm not sure a lot of guys can be taught.

 

[martinson]

The only draftee I could possibly see breaking into our Senior side this year is Coleman if he improves as we'd hope.

We already have Ah Chee ,Birchall and CEY coming in as potential locks. Ely Smith ,Tommy Berry and Cox would be way ahead of them . And you've still got Matho ,Starc Corey Lyons and others who can fill a spot.

If Coleman kicks on it wouldn't take much for the selectors to give him a call up because he offers something extra . But at this stage there are still guys ahead of him.

So we're building depth . And we're drafting smart by only taking hard nuts.

 

[M Malice]

Brock Smith-

 

[BrizzyBandit]

Brock Smith

 

[knaf]

Brock Smith

That was fantastic. Who is that kid.

 

[M Malice]

Callum Twomey on today's Road to the Draft Podcast review said that the Lions would definitely have taken Deven Robertson at pick 16 if we had kept it, we were very keen on him.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

That was fantastic. Who is that kid.

He's interviewed most major draft prospects, except notably Deven Robertson. Plenty of basketballers too.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Callum Twomey on today's Road to the Draft Podcast review said that the Lions would definitely have taken Deven Robertson at pick 16 if we had kept it, we were very keen on him.

Sounds pretty certain that the rumour of us trying to trade up to pick 20 was also for Robertson then.

 

[Dalions]

Lachie Neale and Darcy Gardiner at the Airport to meet the boys.

 

[rangatangtang]

It's deliberately done in front of a camera, and by most clubs most years. To me, it is the epitome of insincere. It's 100% marketing. Doesn't say anything at all about leadership to me - the club just teeing everything up.

Hey Spotthedog1, came across this and thought I'd share to your point as it appears this one at least was quite sincere. Neale on afl.com article
"Fages [coach Chris Fagan] texted me and said we were a big chance to try and grab him and once we did I sent (personal excellence and wellbeing manager) Andrew Crowell a text and asked if I could give him a call to check in and welcome him.
"It means a bit more than just a text message."

 

[martinson]

Hey Spotthedog1, came across this and thought I'd share to your point as it appears this one at least was quite sincere. Neale on afl.com article
"Fages [coach Chris Fagan] texted me and said we were a big chance to try and grab him and once we did I sent (personal excellence and wellbeing manager) Andrew Crowell a text and asked if I could give him a call to check in and welcome him.
"It means a bit more than just a text message."

Of course it's marketing but that doesn't mean guys like Zorks,Hodge and Neale aren't anything more than thrilled to get new blood in and sincerely want to make them feel welcome. As any leader at a club would be.

I'm fairly certain they'd still be making the call without the media present.

 

[luthor]

It's become apparent to me that over the last decade or so foot skills have become a more crucial aspect of the game . If they can't kick or be trained to kick accurately and with vision you don't really want them . Foot turnovers kill you ,particularly in your back line ,as do missed shots on goal.

Having said that it's less crucial for an inside mid where you need to get it and get it out going your way somehow . Traditionally the best midfielders were just gun kicks a la Ian Stewart , and then Williams who couldn't kick it far but rarely missed a target , Simon Black and others. The later day M/F superstars don't seem to be exceptional kicks for some reason . Devon doesn't stand out as being a gifted kick nor a poor one so he's probably in the mould of the modern midfielder.

You mentioned the great Simon Black .....who often exhibited exquisite foot skills........but unless my memory is failing me, just as often had some pretty horrible howlers by foot.

It wasn't his foot skills that made him a Brownlow medalist, a Norm Smith medalist and a three times Premiership player. It was his amazing ball extraction at the contest and his ability to feed it to our outside runners.

So yeah, foot skills , whilst desirable aren't a deal breaker if the inside mid has other attributes that have a net benefit for your side

 

[Scubaveg]

You mentioned the great Simon Black .....who often exhibited exquisite foot skills........but unless my memory is failing me, just as often had some pretty horrible howlers by foot.

It wasn't his foot skills that made him a Brownlow medalist, a Norm Smith medalist and a three times Premiership player. It was his amazing ball extraction at the contest and his ability to feed it to our outside runners.

So yeah, foot skills , whilst desirable aren't a deal breaker if the inside mid has other attributes that have a net benefit for your side

Yep absolutely, Blackie was also an average kick on goal. Wasn’t unusual for him to spray a few.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[martinson]

You mentioned the great Simon Black .....who often exhibited exquisite foot skills........but unless my memory is failing me, just as often had some pretty horrible howlers by foot.

It wasn't his foot skills that made him a Brownlow medalist, a Norm Smith medalist and a three times Premiership player. It was his amazing ball extraction at the contest and his ability to feed it to our outside runners.

So yeah, foot skills , whilst desirable aren't a deal breaker if the inside mid has other attributes that have a net benefit for your side

Well Luthor maybe my memory is failing me because I don't remember him missing all that often by foot ,left or right and I've seen him appear on the occasional 'best field kick' lists. I think he was just so lethal with his hands that everything else sometimes looks average compared to that

But no one gets any worse after they retire do they ,they usually get a lot better.

 

[luthor]

But no one gets any worse after they retire do they ,they usually get a lot better.

This.

In twenty years time we'll be reminiscing about "Dead eye dick" McStay

 

[scoman]

This.

In twenty years time we'll be reminiscing about "Dead eye dick" McStay

Oh yes indeed, those ones he kicked straight through the middle, oh boy, the goal umpire didn't move! My word.

 

[martinson]

This.

In twenty years time we'll be reminiscing about "Dead eye dick" McStay

Oh yes indeed, those ones he kicked straight through the middle, oh boy, the goal umpire didn't move! My word.

You could probably remember the silky skills of the Scott Brothers . And who could forget 'Lace out' Copeland.

 

[briztoon]

Article on AFL.com from Cal Twomey about last weeks draft, and different teams options at various picks.

Twomey said if we held on to pick 16 we would have taken Robertson there.

If Robertson hadn’t got through and we didn’t do the pick swap with Port, we would have taken Trent Rivers at pick 23.


I know this is all with hindsight, but it feels like we missed out a bit with the earlier than expected bid on Keidean Coleman.

I hope next years Port pick pays off big time.

 

[Nunez]

Article on AFL.com from Cal Twomey about last weeks draft, and different teams options at various picks.

Twomey said if we held on to pick 16 we would have taken Robertson there.

If Robertson hadn’t got through and we didn’t do the pick swap with Port, we would have taken Trent Rivers at pick 23.


I know this is all with hindsight, but it feels like we missed out a bit with the earlier than expected bid on Keidean Coleman.

I hope next years Port pick pays off big time.

Can't see them making the 8 so I think we'll be in luck. Here's hoping I'm right !

 

[dlanod]

I know this is all with hindsight, but it feels like we missed out a bit with the earlier than expected bid on Keidean Coleman.

Feels like this is the odd line out in your post - the rest is about our first and second round picks and this is separate as it doesn't affect them and can be taken on its own. Depending on how we rated players it might not have played out a heap different.

 

[dlanod]

DURING all of the first-round drama, Deven Robertson remained on the draft shelf.


The Larke medallist and gun West Australian midfielder had been considered for the Blues' Philp spot, and at Richmond's choice, while Geelong had also discussed him on the night.


He was the only player to attend the opening night of the draft and not leave an AFL player, but moves were afoot the next day as clubs vied to get up the order and grab him.


Nearly half of the competition was interested in Port's pick 22 that opened the second round, but Brisbane was keenest to move up a spot from pick No.23 to swoop on the midfielder. In fact, had they not offloaded their first-round pick in a pre-draft deal with Port, the Lions would likely have snapped up Robertson then.


They didn't let their second chance go missing. Brisbane offered a future second-round pick to take Port's pick, and even though Port wasn't going to select Robertson there, the Lions had to make sure their offer beat others', including Adelaide, who were trying to inch up the board.


The Power also couldn't shift too far back as they wanted to be sure they could take Dylan Williams with their third choice – wherever it ended up.


There was also the possibility Brisbane bid on Mead if they stayed at No.23, so Port could eliminate that chance by swapping spots.


Robertson's slide, as is the way of the draft, had implications. It saw Trent Rivers, who was set to be taken by Brisbane if Robertson wasn't available, get through to Melbourne's pick 32.

Inside the draft's first round: Twists, turns, bluffs, big calls

Draft guru Callum Twomey takes you inside the first round of the draft

www.afl.com.au

 

[Johnny Bananas]

If Robertson hadn’t got through and we didn’t do the pick swap with Port, we would have taken Trent Rivers at pick 23.

So does that mean we saw Rivers as an inside mid, and had no need for him once we got Robertson? Or did we see him as a defender but rate Brock Smith higher, and we didn't see Smith being picked before 33 but didn't think he'd last to 38? Just trying to understand why we didn't trade up for Rivers.