Ok, we'll see if I have time to get this all down.GC should pick at least two of their own academy kids this year . Who do rate of this years GC draft crop
Sorry, it's long, and looks at more than just the question asked. I love talking draft, and list management and strategy. It's why I comment here, that and I prefer to watch a fellow QLD team and follow there progress, than a team from another State.
Finally, and this was a point first made by a GWS poster. The Northern teams shouldn't prioritise our own academy kids in the National Draft, unless the are best available at that pick, or it's close and much of a muchness. At the end of the day, we can sign the academy kids on as U19 academy kids and put an extra year of development in to them, before having to make a decision on them.
Can some one do a quick run down of what they believe Gold Coast might do at the end of the season in terms or de-listing, upgrading rookies, moving a player from the señor list to the rookie list to open up a senior list spot. And possible trade requests (Jack Martin is the obvious one from discussions here)
One thing to keep a note on, is if the Suns plan on keeping Sam Fletcher and Mitch Riordan. Both players will need to be re-rookied at the end of the season if the Suns plan on keeping them. So that's 2 Cat A rookie spots tied up.
Also, why only 39 players on the Senior list? Do you have a Cat B rookie playing senior football?
So, how many picks you take to the draft obviously depends on how many players are de-listed and traded out, and how many players are traded in. Do the Suns decide to place an equal emphasis on the draft and trade period. Or will they prioritise one over the other.
At this stage the Suns have 4 picks in the national draft worth points, and typically that's what I look at when we don't know how many lists spots are going to be available at the draft.
So, if I'm the Suns;
I'm hoping a bid comes in after pick 35 for Budarick. Gold Coasts current pick 49 is good enough to match a bid at pick 37. Seeing that pick is tied to Richmond, there is some variance as to it's likely finishing position. Any where from pick 45 to pick 54.
I'm taking Rowell at pick 1. You need a kid who can step in and contribute right away.
If you keep the Lions pick, Unless Will Gould slides to that pick, I'm taking the kid who projects to have the highest potential and upside, not a kid who is ready to play now. I'm going to stress, this is not a great draft for mids. If he's HFF who might develop in to a winger down the track, the great. If he's a HBF who might develop in to a mid, awesome. Best Talent Available.
Schoenberg and Robertson can potentially play from early on in the season, but the only thing they have over Brodie is their running capacity, and neither is the tall inside bull Brodie is. You've also drafted a short inside mid with your first pick, I'm not inclined to draft a lesser version of the same with my next first round pick.
If you trade the Lions pick, I'd be inclined to want to get a pick back around the pick 25 mark. If you're going to prioritise mids, I'd strongly consider Cooper Stephens from Geelong Falcons. He's a tall, inside contested mid who was regarded as a late first round talent at the beginning of the year, but broke his leg early in the NAB League season.
Finally pick 73. You can match a bid from pick 55 and back. So if the Suns want to prioritise an academy kid, and another team bids on him, you can match.
One thing to keep in mind, if a kid slides that the recruiting staff really likes, they can trade a future pick for him, only if the team has a first round pick. Doesn't have to be your own first round pick. You can trade that out, as long as you trade in another first round pick.
In which case, you pick up your academy kids in the rookie draft, if you have any spots for them.
Lastly, it's interesting looking at Draft Centrals rankings of the kids that performed at the championships. Of the Gold Coast kids, it goes:
Budarick
Crossley
Oea
Gore
National Championships
afl.draftcentral.com.au