Preview 2020 AFL National Draft thread

[King Corey]

Spoiler: Lore's 2020 Draft Order

 

[New_Roo]

LDU 188 cm.

That Ford is apparently 190cm already and still growing...


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[Asifhe Givashe]

Just get mids - it’s where other teams destroy us

it’s so obvious.

 

[Snake_Baker]

The worst season in the clubs AFL history with the best draft hand in the clubs AFL history................and we have to guess.

It's just so North Melbourne.

 

[Groucho]

Just get mids - it’s where other teams destroy us

I agree but we’ll probably take McDonald and Cox, who are both excellent prospects, but I think you just load up on good mids when you can as that’s what the games all about these days.

 

[Snake_Baker]

I agree but we’ll probably take McDonald and Cox, who are both excellent prospects, but I think you just load up on good mids when you can as that’s what the games all about these days.

Whilst we keep Dumont in the centre square?

That could potentially devastate the club. I genuinely believe that.

Not because they're poor quality draftees, but due to the length of time it typically takes for them to arrive as AFL players, the precarious situation confronting the club, and our yearning cavern in midfield depth.

I would be staggered if we drafted that way.

 

[SMaturin]

We are the mids! We are the mids! We are we are we are the mids!

Just draft mids please for ****s sake.

 

[krakouers]

Goldy 201cm

Spider 210cms

Check... mate

 

[Souup]

If we don't pick Elijah Hollands, then we're purposely trying to fail.
Who's our tallest midfielder? Cunnington at 185cm? We need beasts, and this kid is a genuine star in the making.
Phillips may be good, but he seems to handball too much. Hollands has a penetrating kick, both sides of the body.

How many full games have you watched Elijah Hollands play?

The conviction with which people around here speak about the draftees after watching a highlights package is absolutely ridiculous.

'If we don't pick Elijah Hollands,then we're purposely trying to fail' - Give me a break.

 

[spurs]

Not that I rate Chris Masten, but he said that Mcdonald is a generational player...like a Buddy Franklin.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Not that I rate Chris Masten, but he said that Mcdonald is a generational player...like a Buddy Franklin.

C'mon spurs, you know that W.A. media overhypes the locals.

 

[Friday Night Lights]

This next 3 months til the draft is gonna feel like 3 years.

 

[spurs]

C'mon spurs, you know that W.A. media overhypes the locals.

Just posting what I'm hearing over here.

 

[New_Roo]

This next 3 months til the draft is gonna feel like 3 years.

We have the free agency and trade to play out before then so time will fly!


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[krakouers]

Not that I rate Chris Masten, but he said that Mcdonald is a generational player...like a Buddy Franklin.

I rate Chris Masten a bit like someone else’s Jeans

Maybe they would be ok with me but I’m happy enough knowing they are someone else’s problem

 

[Ether]

How many full games have you watched Elijah Hollands play?

The conviction with which people around here speak about the draftees after watching a highlights package is absolutely ridiculous.

'If we don't pick Elijah Hollands,then we're purposely trying to fail' - Give me a break.

Sorry if I've missed it Souup but why don't you think Hollands will make it as a mid?

 

[Souup]

Sorry if I've missed it Souup but why don't you think Hollands will make it as a mid?

3 main things:

1. He's very reactionary in the midfield - tends to position himself on the outskirts and wait rather than hunting and winning his own ball.
2. He's not clean under pressure in the contest - by under pressure I mean opponent has hands on him and he needs to dispose quickly. He tends to get flustered and spray out a handball or kick from congestion in a general direction rather than keep a cool head and dispose cleanly to a teammate. His body language and the way he moves looks very panicked. This is one of the most important traits of a midfielder IMO - calmness under pressure to make the right decision.
3. He's never been a high possession winner.

It's no secret that I've been a massive fan of Will Phillips so I'll mention here that he is absolutely elite at the 3 things Hollands struggles with most. No surprise Will Phillips was an incredible midfielder in his underage year and turned it up another notch in the finals where he outperformed Rowell in all but the Grand Final IMO.

Go and watch the highlights tape GR threw together and count how many times Hollands wins possession at a stoppage Vs a handball receive or mark. The other piece of footage most people will have access to is the Team Brown vs Team Dal Santo game - go watch that game and again count how much of his own ball he wins vs handball receives and marks. Compare this to guys like Will Phillips, Alex Davies, Zane Trew, Braeden Campbell, Tanner Bruhn and Tom Powell who all win their own ball in the contest and make good decisions under pressure.

People are way too easily swayed by flashy plays - they watch the highlights package and watch some admittedly exceptional things he does without picking up on the fact that almost every single touch in that clip is him getting the outside ball and shows nothing of his ability in the midfield. The argument that he played mostly forward too isn't a super strong one either as he often went to stoppages in the forward half (particularly in the second half of 2018) and played at least 50% of the Team Brown vs Dal Santo match in the midfield so there's enough to suggest he wasn't convincing in the midfield when given the opportunity.

This is all before he did his ACL and the additional question that brings.

Now I think he's the most skillful player in the draft and has the most tricks - the highlights package clearly speaks of his ability. He's deadly when given time and space. I'm just not convinced he becomes a full time midfielder.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Bloody good post.

The kid could end up a match winner, but can we afford the risk that he'll be a bust as a midfielder, when we have Zurhaar, Taylor & Thomas in the forward line already?

 

[wazza03]

We just need to draft best mids available with our first 2 picks.
I can understand the interest in McDonald however he’s more likely to end up like Earl Spalding than Wayne Carey.


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[CBSlogger]

Have seen a few say Phillips 'can't be best player in the comp' at sub-180cm. As well as having a Cunners look about him in traffic and great vision by hand, his breakaway first few steps has plenty of Neale about it and and there's also more than a bit of Sam Mitchell too. I bloody hope we get him, if at 9-10 its a huge bonus.

 

[DesertRoo]

Bloody good post.

The kid could end up a match winner, but can we afford the risk that he'll be a bust as a midfielder, when we have Zurhaar, Taylor & Thomas in the forward line already?

Two of the above three, I hoped who’ve been pushing for midfield minutes by this season.. what a waste of a season with injury.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Have seen a few say Phillips 'can't be best player in the comp' at sub-180cm. As well as having a Cunners look about him in traffic and great vision by hand, his breakaway first few steps has plenty of Neale about it and and there's also more than a bit of Sam Mitchell too. I bloody hope we get him, if at 9-10 its a huge bonus.

He doesn't necessarily have to be the best player in the competition, he has to be the player that best facilitates making North the best team in the competition.

There is a difference.

Cunnington is getting on, Simpkin gets buffeted too much by the bigger bodies in the centre square, and I would prefer to see LDU maintain that burst from the clearance and deliver by foot aspect that can make him so damaging.

We need another bulldozer.

 

[Moti]

If we are to be honest we only have 1x KP player under 25 at either end (Larkey, Mc Kay). Tarrant might be done next year, Brown should still have 5 years in him while Walker also should have at least 3 years. Only Comben is considered a decent chance to be a decent future player in the KP stakes. We do not have a lock for next ruckman, Xerri just doesn't look like he has great skills, although could be a solid ruckman in a pinch.

Then we have no speedy small forwards and a general lack of speed/skill combo players across HB and the middle.

Hate to use the analogy, but we need to start using the Maddern Rating system and choose the best player that falls inside the above mentioned list. That means no slow big bodies inside players, no general utilities and no marking HF.

Cunnington couldn't possibly get slower so should be good for at least another 3 years if not longer.

 

[Souup]

Have seen a few say Phillips 'can't be best player in the comp' at sub-180cm. As well as having a Cunners look about him in traffic and great vision by hand, his breakaway first few steps has plenty of Neale about it and and there's also more than a bit of Sam Mitchell too. I bloody hope we get him, if at 9-10 its a huge bonus.

The Rohan VS Cunners debate from years ago reminds me of the current Holland's-Phillips one in a lot of ways.

The difference is the obsession around Rohan's potential was his athleticism whereas with Holland's it's his skills.

Wonder how many would have taken this guy over Cunners due to how exciting his highlights were and his potential :

 

[TurnoverMerchant]

Uhhhh guys...we could very well be staring at pick 1 right now

 

[Passmore]

Uhhhh guys...we could very well be staring at pick 1 right now

Good. We can bid on Ugle-Hagan. Hoping this gets a like from that Footscray supporting plonker lurking here.