List Mgmt. 2020 Draft (December 9) discussion thread

Our currently owned picks:

24 - Blake Coleman
43 - Harry Sharp
48 - Henry Smith

Our currently owned 2021 picks:

1st (MEL), 1st (BRI), 3rd (WCE), 3rd (BRI), 4th (MEL), 4th (COL), 5th (BRI)
 
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Mar 13, 2013
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Some notes on the weekend Academy game(s) from the boys at AFL Central

 
Gee we can't really take a trick when it comes to owning another clubs first round pick. Last year we had the Pies and they turned it on to finish quite high, this year the Power and they are doing the same....

Make that a great selling point for next season - "You want to climb up the ladder? Give us your first pick ! "

I'm sure it'll go the other way and we will get lucky at least once :)
 

Johnny Bananas

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Some notes on the weekend Academy game(s) from the boys at AFL Central

Carter Michael with "blistering pace" off half-back and through the middle? Yes please. We may not get Zac Williams but maybe we can create our own.
 

Judge

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Carter Michael with "blistering pace" off half-back and through the middle? Yes please. We may not get Zac Williams but maybe we can create our own.

Sorry mate, Carter has good run off half back but "blistering pace" is a significant overstatement.

I wouldn't be putting money on any Academy boys being drafted this year (by us or anyone else).

Blake Coleman probably the best chance given his X factor, Tahj Abberley might get a look in next year as an over-ager as he's a quality user of the ball, but that's about it.

Next year's draft crop is not looking too flash either at the moment, GC's kids are significantly more advanced.

Just my opinions, of course.
 

marooned

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GC juniors play in a much stronger competition than Brisbane. High school academy teams are of a better standard. An example of this is PBC and Helensvale played in the QLD cup final last year.I attended the yr 7 south east high school 9’s tournament earlier this year and it was Helensvale and PBC in the final which PBC won. No other team had kicked more than a single goal against Helensvale before the final. Massive worry for our junior base
 

jjami15

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GC juniors play in a much stronger competition than Brisbane. High school academy teams are of a better standard. An example of this is PBC and Helensvale played in the QLD cup final last year.I attended the yr 7 south east high school 9’s tournament earlier this year and it was Helensvale and PBC in the final which PBC won. No other team had kicked more than a single goal against Helensvale before the final. Massive worry for our junior base
Not to brag but we always were the dominant rep team. Mainly because back in the day we were all ex-pat Victorians. Now I can’t stand the place (G.C that is)!
 

briztoon

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269F1BAE-2413-46A7-B269-7465E66E1B14.jpeg
 

Quigley

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I had a watch of last week's game tonight and overall it is fair to say the Lions were not in the same league as GC. They were much better coached with their structures much more sophisticated and effective than the Lions were using. With very limited preparation the Suns turned up and played as a team whilst the Lions looked like they shook hands for the first time in the tunnel on the way onto the ground. Another massive difference was the run that the Suns had as opposed to the Lions. The Lions slowly jogged around the ground whilst the Suns were moving at pace. The Suns as a consequence had 2 or three players at every fall of the ball and had unmarked players all over the ground. The Lions were also under much more pressure moving the ball than the Suns ever were.

In the middle of the ground the Lions were also nowhere close. They hardly won a clean clearance all day. They were too often second to the ball and showed little attack. If you are getting belted in the middle it makes it very hard to win anywhere else. Overall it was a very poor performance by the academy.

Whilst on poor performances I have to call out the umpires. At this level you expect the standard to be pretty ordinary but you at least want a fair spread of incompetence between the teams. The Lions were well and truly screwed over in this game. FFS umpires these are kids here at least try and check your biases before you step on the field. You are bringing the game into disrepute with performances like that.

Onto the guys who might be some chance to be drafted:

Abberley - I would be pretty tempted to rookie list him. He is calm in traffic and is one of those guys who just seems to have a bit of extra time. He is very outside though and if he wants to make it at the next level he needs to improve his running ability. He was one of the main offenders of those just cruising around at half speed and quite simply not working hard enough to chase and make contests. If you want to get drafted son you need to bust a gut getting up and down the park. Speed is pretty average (not quick but not slow either). He has a very nice kicking style, but he probably looks a better kick than he actually is. He looks very classy by foot and he does hit some nice targets but he bounces it to too many targets for me to convinced that he is great by foot. With that said he does pick out really good targets and if he can tidy up his kicking just a little I think he could be a weapon by foot. The one area which might be overlooked by many is how good Abberly is by hand. I would classify him as elite by hand based on this match. He has a quick powerful handball which when combined with his play reading and option taking strengths you often find that very good things happen when he goes by hand. He played on the wing for most of the match before moving forward in the last. He didn't offer much off the forward flank although to be fair the ball was not actually going in there much.

Michael - there is a bit there but he needs to improve a few areas if he is going to be drafted. He played off half back in the first quarter before going into the midfield in the middle quarters. He has nice size and athleticism and he looks like and AFL player. When on ball he was actually the only midfielder who attacked the ball and regularly worked through the pack at pace and presented difficulties for the Suns. The thing which probably stops me rating him higher is that he fumbled too much. Whether overhead or below his knees he was not as clean as he needs to be and when the opportunities presented themselves to attack the game he either did not take the ball or took a second or more to control the ball which cost him. Skills are solid enough especially for an inside mid. If he was just having an off night with his hands than I could see him picked up. If that is representative of his game usually I think he misses.

Coleman - the ball hardly every came his way and when it did it was not delivered with any class and that made things very difficult for him. He played fairly deep forward all day and credit too him he made the most of the chances he had kicking 2 of the Lions 4 goals. He had an excellent goal where he paddled the ball forward a couple of times on the wing against three opponents before gathering the ball, creating some space for himself and getting away to kick the goal on the run. His second was from a really nice mark when he positioned himself in front of a contest and showed really strong hands to come away with the mark. Other than that he did not get much of an opportunity. What I would have liked to see though is him hunting more. Both for the ball and for the opponent when they got the ball. He drifted around too much and did not use the burst of pace he has to make things happen. Still pretty hard to judge him given how his team were going.
 

jjami15

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It’s like when a new government comes in and they change things just for kicks. I don’t think there are very smart people running things in AFL house!
 

Quigley

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It will all be about cutting costs next year and the lower tier stuff will be cut pretty hard into.

I expect Salter to get the chop in a shooting the messenger arrangement with the clubs but there be no reversal of the arrangements until 2022 or 2023 depending on how long this drags on for.
 

briztoon

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I’m not familiar at all with our academy set up, but with the National Championships going to an U19’s comp, I hope we’re planning on keeping a dozen odd top age academy kids to top our reserves team, not to mention the best 18 and even 17 year olds if they’re up to it.
 
Mar 13, 2013
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briztoon

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What's the point of reducing games? Cost cutting?
Pretty much, as the AFL funds the NAB League.

I sort of see the sense in some of the decisions.

The vast majority of the top Vic Metro kids play private school footy, and don’t play the middle half of the NAB League.

It’s the Vic Country kids who don’t play private school footy and 19 year olds being screwed over.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the 19 year olds go in to a pool to be top up players for the Vic reserves teams.

I hope they’re restructuring the NAB League to play after the private school season, and finish just before the AFL finals, and they then play the National Championships after the NAB League finals.
 
Mar 13, 2013
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Pretty much, as the AFL funds the NAB League.

I sort of see the sense in some of the decisions.

The vast majority of the top Vic Metro kids play private school footy, and don’t play the middle half of the NAB League.

It’s the Vic Country kids who don’t play private school footy and 19 year olds being screwed over.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the 19 year olds go in to a pool to be top up players for the Vic reserves teams.

I hope they’re restructuring the NAB League to play after the private school season, and finish just before the AFL finals, and they then play the National Championships after the NAB League finals.
I wonder if we will see an increase in country kids moving to city schools to play footy because of the changes?
 

briztoon

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I cant see many (any) players that are genuine draft chances playing local footy as the article suggests.
That’s something Clarko has been pushing for big time.

With recruiting teams cut, are Vic recruiters going to drive all over the country leagues to watch one or two kids in a single game in one day.

Or stay in Melbourne and watch Hailebury v St Kevin’s where they’ll see more than 20 odd kids across two or three drafts.
 

briztoon

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I wonder if we will see an increase in country kids moving to city schools to play footy because of the changes?
If they’re finished school, they can go interstate and study or work part time, and play SANFL or QAFL, or wherever.

Or yes, if I was a top country kid, I’d be looking for a scholarship in Melbourne or Geelong.
 

Dylan12

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Absolutely.

It had become farcical and club's, like any good organisation operating within their bonds of constraints, exploited it within the rules as you'd expect, despite it going against the spirit of the NGA's intentions.

How indigenous kids ever became eligible was a joke, particularly someone like Chris Johnson's boy, Lachie who'd been brought up on the game probably more than any other kid going around.
 
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