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2021 AFL Draft Revisited 2024 Edition

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RJK Tiger

Premiership Player
Oct 29, 2020
4,708
11,191
AFL Club
Richmond
2021 was the year when the club needed to make a clear choice and commit to it. The team clearly collapsed & game-plan expired mid-year & the magic elixir was broken. The Rnd 13 Eagles V Tigers game is one of the most fascinating H&A games I have ever seen. Was the final battle of the 2 best teams of their Era, they just didn't know it yet & after it neither team was ever the same. The game itself was a typical classic tough battle of these 2 tough teams that clearly respected each other, but the game was all a bit off. More frustrating to watch & for the players to play as well. Unusual **** ups on both sides. weird umpiring. but still tough, exciting etc. We had it won and some poor efforts and errors by a few repeat offenders ( Chol, Aarts, Castagna + more) and we gave it away in the last few minutes. What if we had just held onto that win, we go into the bye equal 3rd? Its the greatest "What If" in our recent history, along with Rance retiring too early.

After that game, 2021 ended in a sudden & confronting way, winning 2 out of 11 & often fading late to surrender games that we looked to be in control of at times. We went from top 4 to 12th in 2 months and it was often ugly to watch. Team was very disjointed all over, but especially down forward. The big positive was they team had put themselves in a position to take 5 picks in the top 30, or, trade for a "ready made" young player in Cerra possibly & still have 3 in the top 30. Personally, i was open to both - but was proud in a sense the club chose the longer term plan. 3 years later, how does that draft class look? And my honest answer is, no ****ing idea.

Our draft class 2021

#9 Josh Gibcus
#17 Tom Brown
#28 Tyler Sonsie
#29 Sam Banks
#30 Judson Clarke

Rookie Draft
Biggy


If i had to place these players in order of "best to worst" every 6 months since 2021, i would never have the same list twice. This draft has been pooped on a fair bit & rightly so at times, but they have also have zero luck. Injuries. A coach/club focused on "win now" too much. The fall in leadership standards across the board. If i had a running list of "who i think will make it", it would have never featured more than 2 names on it, but every name would have been on it at some point.

As it stands, i feel more confident about this draft class that i have for a while, but would i beat my house on it? hell no. Lots of unanswered questions, not a single "lock" yet, however Brown looks well on his way. Gibcus will be N/A until we see what he looks like post 2xACLS, but his form post injury was pretty underwhelming i thought. Sonsie has some serious limitations, but i think he is a competitor & a guy who will impact results. Sam Banks has gone from the Dark Horse of the Class, to the Danny Meyer of the class. He is starting to smell a lot like Danny to me right now. Lacks competitiveness, has decorated kicking skills that don't translate to meaningful football. He is the wildcard of the draft though, if he can be the player we thought we were drafting, a high level kicking skilled, explosive HBF runner - he would fit a need perfectly right now as it would allow us to move pieces around more.

Judson Clarke is one i still hold a lot of faith in, purely as he was the best of this young group who knew how to impact good, big, close games. Judons had a good run of games where he kicked a couple, but was involved late in last quarters kicking important goals etc. He fell away a fair bit and then the ACL. A few people have thrown Edwards name around with Dow, but i see a lil more of Edwards in Clarke at a similar age. Edwards was definitely more advanced, but both had a knack of being involved and either kicking of assisting an important goal at a key time.

How does one even start to analysis tho where this draft class is at? presently and long term. Would be intrigued to hear where everyone has this draft class now Vs when they took the picks. I never have strong opinions about drafts as i don't follow kids football, but i was surprised at the lack of size at the time & was willing to trust the process. How do i see it right now? I am not sure i know, but i am more positive than i have been with Tom Brown starting to impact.
 

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Saying Banks is the Danny Meyer is too harsh
I dont get the love for Judson. He has preformed the least at AFL level.

I'm confident Gibcus will be a 10 year player. Grimes, Astbury and Rance all had either injuries or form issues for 2-4 years into their careers.
Simular with Banks.
Sonsie will make it if he gets his head right. Apparently thats why he slipped in the draft.
Clake is the one that worries me. I cant see him making it unfortunatley.
 
Gibcus ✅
Brown ✅
Banks❔
Clarke ❔
Sonsie ❌
Think Banks is starting to show something now. If we got 3 best 22 out of that draft we'd have done well.

Sonz seems a bit in his head like Cumbo.

We need Clarke to get fit given he's one of only a few with speed.
 

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2021 AFL Draft Revisited 2024 Edition


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