2019 Young Talent Time

[Paracleet]

The AFL website is saying we are looking at using 5 picks in the national draft. We may need to get creative with trading our future picks if we want 3 good players on top of Henry and Butters

I don't think they have anything as a basis for that conclusion: Probably they have just noted we currently have 5 picks inside 70 in the indicative order. For instance Melbourne have five open main list spots currently, but no picks in the indicative order after pick 8 because that order doesn't show picks after the fifth round. As of right now they notionally have something like 3, 8, 98, 100andsomething and 100andsomething.

Until the first list lodgement deadline has passed they shouldn't even bother speculating.

 

[Prokette]

Jackson is projecting more like Cripps than Grundy. If you believe that, you take him very very early.

Saw he is projected to go around pick 14. I feel like freo should take him at 10. Seen him play and being just under 200cm he could easily convert in a great target up forward. Using him a ruck/forward option could easily be like having another Taberner.[/QUOTE]

 

[TheBigD]

Saw he is projected to go around pick 14. I feel like freo should take him at 10. Seen him play and being just under 200cm he could easily convert in a great target up forward. Using him a ruck/forward option could easily be like having another Taberner.

Yeah but would be the point of having two Taberners ??

Draft what you need if you’re Freo not talent. Would force players to play out of position if so and not get the best out of them

 

[Bender571]

I do not know of a single ruckmen who could become an A grade midfielder (apart from stephen michael). We already have two good ruckmen and meek is headed in the right direction.

Goodes had 300 hitouts the year he won his first Brownlow

How does Jackson rate against English at this stage of their relative development? Chris your thoughts most welcome.

English hadn't even played colts at the same age. That's why he couldn't nominate for the draft, because to enter the draft you have to play at least one games of under 18's

 

[Paracleet]

Jackson would be taken high as projecting Cox like. I.E. A good ruck who doubles as an additional outside midfielder. I.E. they ruck and in-between contests they're running to receive and link up rather than just trying to make position for the next tap or rest forward. Not someone who can play as an extra on-baller whether they are rucking or not, there's no such thing.

 

[Taylor]

there's no such thing.

...until there is.

There aren't high flying marking, contested ball winning inside midfielders. But now there is.

An inside midfielder with speed was a unicorn for a while there too.

 

[Nodgey]

This time of year is always exciting. Players could be the next Stephen Michael/Adam Goodes. Or they could end up a Daniel Bandy/Jarrad Grant. It's a risky game and recruiters are certainly earning their pay...

 

[Monument Hills]

This time of year is always exciting. Players could be the next Stephen Michael/Adam Goodes. Or they could end up a Daniel Bandy/Jarrad Grant. It's a risky game and recruiters are certainly earning their pay...

and then you finally select the next Adam Goodes and they proceed to do 3 ACLs

more than likely, like nearly every year, we will argue over a few players and Freo will pick some complete randoms anyway.

 

[Paracleet]

...until there is.

There aren't high flying marking, contested ball winning inside midfielders. But now there is.

An inside midfielder with speed was a unicorn for a while there too.

I just don't see someone that tall being able to win enough ball. Even at Fyfe, and particularly Cripps, height you're staring to have trouble winning ground ball. At two metres you're gunna win zero in contests you didn't start out in (like following up on your own ruck contest for instance.) And yes I appreciate 15 years ago you might have said the same about someone who was, say, 194; but the process has to stop somewhere.

 

[Taylor]

I just don't see someone that tall being able to win enough ball. Even at Fyfe, and particularly Cripps, height you're staring to have trouble winning ground ball. At two metres you're gunna win zero in contests you didn't start out in (like following up on your own ruck contest for instance.) And yes I appreciate 15 years ago you might have said the same about someone who was, say, 194; but the process has to stop somewhere.

I think we are bound to get some spill over on the quality of athlete that doesn't end up at the EPL, NFL, NBA etc.

I'm not going to be upset if we don't Jackson but I think the ability of our tall athletes to move is being a bit understated.

Football is really just a serious of contests and if we can insert an elite athlete with their advantages into that series of contests somewhere that affords us a significant win, then it's worthwhile.

I think the most athletic super tall players never get to AFL, they get snatched up by basketball. As recently as ten years ago if you were 205cm and knew which end of the leg to hit a football with you could get on an AFL list, I think that has distorted the perception of what a player that size could actually do.

 

[rgauci]

I just don't see someone that tall being able to win enough ball. Even at Fyfe, and particularly Cripps, height you're staring to have trouble winning ground ball. At two metres you're gunna win zero in contests you didn't start out in (like following up on your own ruck contest for instance.) And yes I appreciate 15 years ago you might have said the same about someone who was, say, 194; but the process has to stop somewhere.

It won’t stop, they’ll just keep getting bigger.

Fyfe
Bontempelli
Cripps

 

[blue shark]

[

It won’t stop, they’ll just keep getting bigger.

Fyfe
Bontempelli
Cripps

Sure you need a tall midfielder, Tigers have Martin at 187cm and Cotchin at 185cm. So a couple would be
invaluable, but the reality is your need quality smalls/mediums to win the ground ball.
Tigers play a pressure game, tough in the contest, But overall are hard to beat, with pace, skills and are
well drilled.
Diversity is the key, a combo of inside/outside style is harder to stop, especially with a strong spine.

 

[Taylor]

I think that if you have two athletes who can run as fast and as far as each other, the taller one will win most contests between them.

It gets harder and harder to find them as they get bigger but they sure are handy

 

[Purpellian Anchor]

If we draft him he plays like Dean Cox not Aaron Sandilands.

And Stephen Michael is a good model for what we'd want him to do.

That's actually a very good comparison, while Stephen was only 1.88cm the way they play is very similar.

It seems the thinking for some is that if your a "ruckman", or pigeonholed as such because of height and or been played in that role, then agility and skill will be lacking and therefore not suitable to play in other roles (eg mid,wing,chb/chf etc).

I rate Jackson ahead of Young and Kemp on our radar for example but not ahead of Robertson or Henry or Stephens. But the latter three for me it is because they meet more the urgent needs, not because they are necessarily higher ranked as picks pre draft.

Wonder what Fyfe would rank in this years draft if the clock was turned back but with this years crop? Probably the same.

 

[tonygeeks]

Depending on what you consider high picks, have only had 3 top 10s in the timeframe of under 23, one of whom was a WA player, another who was as close to a WA player (originally from WA moved to Vic) and one Vic metro player. The WA player is perhaps the one that gets the most eyebrows raised.

You need to remember that there is another variable involved; that being where you have your picks.

I suppose drafting is like politics, in that can't please everyone all the time.



I hear what you say, I'm just saying I can see some evidence that Jackson is "special" and some mid to high level club with a good pick may this time get over-excited, particularly if they are looking for a unique advantage and see this as some new differentiator.

Depends what you call high picks I suppose but we aren't exactly overflowing with 2nd and 3rd round WA kids either are we ?
Draft picks can be moved around and what have we done lately to get our picks in the right spot

 

[_007_]

I think that if you have two athletes who can run as fast and as far as each other, the taller one will win most contests between them.

It gets harder and harder to find them as they get bigger but they sure are handy

You are making another massive assumption - that they are equal footballers. If size and athleticism is all that mattered we'd import failed NBA/NFL players en masse.

 

[Arcassius]

I think that if you have two athletes who can run as fast and as far as each other, the taller one will win most contests between them.

It gets harder and harder to find them as they get bigger but they sure are handy

Agility and evasion might suffer with longer legs and arms

 

[Taylor]

You are making another massive assumption - that they are equal footballers. If size and athleticism is all that mattered we'd import failed NBA/NFL players en masse.

That is the general assumption.

 

[Taylor]

Agility and evasion might suffer with longer legs and arms

This is why basketball players at elite levels would be handy players at AFL if they knew football early enough

 

[blue shark]

You are making another massive assumption - that they are equal footballers. If size and athleticism is all that mattered we'd import failed NBA/NFL players en masse.

If you are playing basketball you have to be an absolute freak to play if under 6ft. I'd expect grid iron to be the
same?
Football is one of those sports that you need to win the air and the ground ball.
Just as a taller player can win the air, it goes the same way when a shorter player is closer to the
ground.
Then add in an oval ball and other factors have to be considered.

 

[maccamk]

This is why basketball players at elite levels would be handy players at AFL if they knew football early enough

How did Jackson go in the Agility test compared to Robertson?


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[Taylor]

How did Jackson go in the Agility test compared to Robertson?


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That is above my pay grade. I've been trying to find the numbers all day

 

[Demons09]

Go back as far as you like but all I’ve seen in recent times are lumbering ruckman playing well in grand finals, how did Grundy go against Lycett.

 

[charlie34]

How did Jackson go in the Agility test compared to Robertson?


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Robertson did'nt test due to injury

 

[Joeltownsmith]

The way I see it if Henry gets an early bid and we Have have to use 7 or 10 so be it. It’s a privilege to have this nga system where we gets first dibs on him anyway. As long as we hit on the our other picks. Very talented footballers will still be there at no22