Mega Thread 2021 Draft

[Lore]

Hey guys, scuse the intrusion. Thought you might like to have this resource on your board (mods might like to sticky):

 

[Grave Danger]

Van Rooyen or Roberts thanks.

Watching Van Rooyen in the WAFL Colts GF this afternoon - going very well atm.

 

[JakeNeadeFan]

Why has Robert’s slid so far on boards? I remember him being top 6 at one point?

Athleticism concerns. Concerns that sanfl might be his ceiling. Had a poor-mediocre championships game. Some other players gone past him - although he did suffer a syndesmosis injury earlier in the year.

If he makes it to our pick I think we would hesitate to pick him because we typically pick athletes.

 

[robbo1981]

Why has Robert’s slid so far on boards? I remember him being top 6 at one point?

Missed 3mths with a ankle injury and isn't quick or athletic but a pure footballer.

 

[robbo1981]

Watching Van Rooyen in the WAFL Colts GF this afternoon - going very well atm.

Can play both ends

 

[philthy05]

Would you trade into next year?

I would love to

Why has Robert’s slid so far on boards? I remember him being top 6 at one point?

Jake covered it above pretty well.

Looks to be treacle slow to my eye, especially lacks that quick burst inside.

also when he went to the champs he looked well outclassed.

Has a big kick and has some genuine footballing ability though. I just think he’s closer to Mitch grigg than an a grade mid. Maybe dunstan might be the level he reaches. Maybe I’m wrong but there’s a bit of risk.

Even if you like him I don’t see him as a good fit next to wines and drew. We’ve already got mead on the list as a slow mid too.

 

[Macca19]

Theres definitely concerns about Roberts athletic ability, but some of the stuff that i've read over the last few weeks is pretty harsh on a kid thats missed 3 months mid season with an ankle injury. There's a good pure footballer there.

I think at our pick, there aren't going to be many better midfield options than him imo, even though he doesn't really suit our midfield mix at this point in time.

 

[JakeNeadeFan]

I think Roberts will end up as a half-back in the AFL. When I watch him play I see quite a bit of Nick Vlastuin

1

Nick Vlastuin

Age

31

Ht

187cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

6.6

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.7

4star

MG

269.3

4star

D

13.3

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.3

3star

M

4.9

5star

T

1.8

3star

MG

257.6

4star

D

20.2

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

8.8

5star

M

7.4

5star

T

2.8

5star

... although perhaps that is because they are both gingers.

Nice mark. Nice kick. Very good at positioning and reading the play. Courageous and tough. When he was playing poorly against WA he was moved to half back and really came into the game.

Also, this surely has to be wrong. Puts Roberts in like the top 5% of AFL in terms of speed. South Adelaide in joke lol?

 

[philthy05]

Theres definitely concerns about Roberts athletic ability, but some of the stuff that i've read over the last few weeks is pretty harsh on a kid thats missed 3 months mid season with an ankle injury. There's a good pure footballer there.

I think at our pick, there aren't going to be many better midfield options than him imo, even though he doesn't really suit our midfield mix at this point in time.

I would feel much more comfortable if he was rated in the 18-35 range. I reckon that’s the midfielder who has some athletic concerns but can find the football / has some talents common range but the fact we’ve seen so little from the Vic players this year means they’ve had a lack of exposure / not developed and Roberts is still rated on his underage year.

I also think the game has slightly turned away from slower / averaged paced mids the last 2 years.

It’s no coincidence that dunstan and dumont are currently seeking a new home with barely any interest and hewett was allowed to walk to Carlton without a challenge or competing offer.

It’s all about the guys who can run the ball out of a stoppage and having a balance of those guys with your workhorse accumulators.

 

[Grave Danger]

Can play both ends

Kicked three goals in the first quarter and another in the third, but not sighted in the last when the game had to be won - Rhett Bazzo did a great job on him.

 

[Macca19]

I also think the game has slightly turned away from slower / averaged paced mids the last 2 years.

It’s no coincidence that dunstan and dumont are currently seeking a new home with barely any interest and hewett was allowed to walk to Carlton without a challenge or competing offer.

Whilst a bit true, on the flipside, Wines, Oliver, Mitchell, Lyons, Mundy all finished top 10 in the brownlow and none of them could run out of sight on a dark night.

The question is does Roberts' football ability and accumulation, both of which is very good, outweigh the fact he's a bit slow.

He wouldn't be my first choice, probably not my second either, but given our first pick will be pick 18 post-NGA selections, unless there is an obvious slider then he's quite probably best available at that range.

 

[zadav29]

Would you trade into next year?

I would 10/10 so much top end talls, lots from SA as well

 

[philthy05]

Whilst a bit true, on the flipside, Wines, Oliver, Mitchell, Lyons, Mundy all finished top 10 in the brownlow and none of them could run out of sight on a dark night.

The question is does Roberts' football ability and accumulation, both of which is very good, outweigh the fact he's a bit slow.

He wouldn't be my first choice, probably not my second either, but given our first pick will be pick 18 post-NGA selections, unless there is an obvious slider then he's quite probably best available at that range.

I don’t really think of Lyons and Oliver as that slow, they’ve at least got quick enough 2-3 steps and that’s all a inside mid needs. Lyons has enough burst and oliver has enough in his first couple of steps and some good lateral movement imo. Though with Oliver it’s probably that lateral movement and ability to get his arms free really rather than running out of contests. I’m not sure I see that in roberts yet. They don’t need to be able to cover 20m fast, cause most of the time they only need 2-5 steps to be able to do what they need. I don’t rate roberts first few steps based on what I’ve seen. But I could easily be wrong. Players work on stuff and improve, even athletically.

If roberts was the best mid available at our first I would dump out of the draft. Trade back and take a kpp and get a pick for next year.

Rachele is the guy I like for our needs but he looks like going earlier… and I’ve got some concerns over sonsie and why he dropped away this year but there’s a reason to take a risk on him cause he’s a very good fit for what we have if he did come good.

 

[philthy05]

Macca19

What’s your feeling on butler and particularly Zac Taylor (who has started to be linked to us in mocks - purely I guess cause of expected range)

They’re two players I didn’t focus on early in the year and missed out on seeing them.

 

[Holden Hillbilly]

Pick 60 (could be 65 by the time all the compo picks are in) is basically rookie/speculative picks in a weak draft. Could see us use 1 pick, 1 free agent and the rest rookies so we are set up for the 2022 super draft with lots of key position SA players.

 

[Macca19]

Macca19

What’s your feeling on butler and particularly Zac Taylor (who has started to be linked to us in mocks - purely I guess cause of expected range)

They’re two players I didn’t focus on early in the year and missed out on seeing them.

Havent seen enough of him to be honest. He reminds me of a poor mans Jack Higgins though

 

[latinoheat]

Pick 60 (could be 65 by the time all the compo picks are in) is basically rookie/speculative picks in a weak draft. Could see us use 1 pick, 1 free agent and the rest rookies so we are set up for the 2022 super draft with lots of key position SA players.

Excuse the intrusion, That pick may come in with earlier picks being eaten up with matching . So might end up a pick in the 50s

 

[TommyLogan#44]

Haven't seen anything of Zac Taylor play but it sounds like he is a late bloomer who is starting to look like a quality prospect.

Excerpt from a draft writeup:
Zac Taylor

Midfielder
180cm/74kg
31/1/03
Calder Cannons/Vic Metro

Taylor has edged his way up the draft board with a season that has built and built the longer it has gone. The Calder Cannons prospect is a midfielder who is elite by foot, being viewed as one of the best kicks in the draft pool. Taylor was fantastic in round 15 earlier this month when he gathered 37 disposals and 11 clearances for the Cannons, and he has averaged 26 disposals in the NAB League. Taylor is a sharp player with genuine footy smarts.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I asked ModernArtillery about Zac Taylor in the phantom draft thread posted on the previous page and this was his response

He's a really crafty accumulator and uses the footy well by hand and foot. One of those that seems to be able to find time and space in and around the contest and then deliver the footy to a teammate in an attacking position. He just rarely wastes a possession because he's such a good decision maker with it but then has the skills to execute. I like that he covers the ground really well and gets involved in transitioning the footy. I just have a high level of confidence that when he has the footy he'll either maintain possession or create an opportunity for a teammate in a more attacking position. I did mention at the end of the podcast that he was probably the reach of the draft. He's a smaller midfielder around the 180cm mark and that probably limits his ceiling in terms of how he can impact a game at AFL level but I value his skill set. As a Crows fan I've always been envious of Robbie Gray

9

Robbie Gray

Age

37

Ht

183cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.9

5star

K

9.8

4star

HB

10.1

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.4

5star

D

13.3

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

7.3

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.6

4star

G

0.6

4star

D

10.4

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.4

4star

G

1.4

5star

and Zak Butters

9

Zak Butters

Age

25

Ht

181cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.3

4star

K

7.7

3star

HB

6.7

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.8

3star

D

14.7

4star

K

8.9

4star

HB

5.9

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.1

3star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

, and I want to be clear this is not a comparison to those two, but as as smaller type he can impact the game in similar ways.

To add a little bit more context. My dream scenario was Hobbs at this pick as I think adding another contested ball winner should be the priority for Port with this selection. Once he was off the board the decision came down to Taylor and Matthew Johnson, with Matthew Roberts and Connor MacDonald the outside considerations. In hindsight, Johnson would've been a pretty good option here I think but I rate Taylor really highly.

 

[charcolechaddy]

Haven't seen anything of Zac Taylor play but it sounds like he is a late bloomer who is starting to look like a quality prospect.

Excerpt from a draft writeup:
Zac Taylor

Midfielder
180cm/74kg
31/1/03
Calder Cannons/Vic Metro

Taylor has edged his way up the draft board with a season that has built and built the longer it has gone. The Calder Cannons prospect is a midfielder who is elite by foot, being viewed as one of the best kicks in the draft pool. Taylor was fantastic in round 15 earlier this month when he gathered 37 disposals and 11 clearances for the Cannons, and he has averaged 26 disposals in the NAB League. Taylor is a sharp player with genuine footy smarts.

I’d rather Roberts, the evenness of the 5/20 range of this draft is why we are trying to by in.

 

[rumoursofwinter]

Josh Goater looks like the perfect fit for our list if he makes it to pick 18. Proper mid who is 190cm, good hands and line breaker. People seem to have him at about our pick which seems weird.

Connor Macdonald is a player who doesn't get mentioned in first round calculations. He looks like a seriously good hard working mid?

 

[philthy05]

Sa v allies playing this morning with the allies side being topped up by a fair few Sa underagers cause allies could t being their full side over.

Without Horne-Francis and Draper the 21 draft eligible players in this game are pretty big average and the 22 draft eligible kids are having all the fun.

Burgoyne has been disappointing considering he’s one of the bigger names of the 21 draft eligible players out there. Roberts has had some nice touches but should be dominating an allies side not having a few good moments.

The 22 draft eligible Sa component looking awesome, and there’s a bunch of them not even out there playing today.

Lemmey just screams franchise key forward focal point. He really draws his team to go through him and demands the ball.

Scully is a genuine ruck / kf combo. Presenting a tonne but not making as much impact as the allies side he’s playing with burn him with scrub kicks.

Keeler looking dangerous.

Kobe Ryan is a ball magnet. Walls (Sa underager) one of the allies best on.

 

[rumoursofwinter]

Is Brodie Lake playing? I liked him last year!

 

[philthy05]

Is Brodie Lake playing? I liked him last year!

He is

 

[HinkleysHeroes]

Id be going players with elite skills with our first pick. With Wines, Drew and SPP as inside mids do we really need another from a first round pick? we can try grab another lower in the draft.

 

[Tibbs]

Sa v allies playing this morning with the allies side being topped up by a fair few Sa underagers cause allies could t being their full side over.

Without Horne-Francis and Draper the 21 draft eligible players in this game are pretty big average and the 22 draft eligible kids are having all the fun.

Burgoyne has been disappointing considering he’s one of the bigger names of the 21 draft eligible players out there. Roberts has had some nice touches but should be dominating an allies side not having a few good moments.

The 22 draft eligible Sa component looking awesome, and there’s a bunch of them not even out there playing today.

Lemmey just screams franchise key forward focal point. He really draws his team to go through him and demands the ball.

Scully is a genuine ruck / kf combo. Presenting a tonne but not making as much impact as the allies side he’s playing with burn him with scrub kicks.

Keeler looking dangerous.

Kobe Ryan is a ball magnet. Walls (Sa underager) one of the allies best on.

Last quarter streaming now if anyone wants to watch ....

WATCH IT LIVE: South Australia v Allies streaming NOW

Watch the LIVE stream of the NAB AFL U19 Champs from Adelaide Oval

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