Draft 2022 AFLW Draft Analysis - Slice of Pie

[Pie 4 Life]

Surely Sydney would be wanting to reconsider the two mature-age girls now. The potential to walk away with Ham, Hurley, C.Hamilton, Goldsworthy and Fleur sounds too good. In saying that I don't know much about Beruldsen and Mitchell. Obviously, they won't backtrack on those girls now, but they may well be punching the air knowing what could have been.

Yeah they can't when they've been training with them.

Honestly I think it's not so much them, but the overall signing tons of players to ensure they had the list. I think if they knew this level of quality was going to be available, then they could have held back a touch and waited for it to unfold. End of the day they had the high picks, so if this didn't eventuate, they could fall back and take two mature-agers.

I actually look forward to when it becomes a national draft because fair enough this happens, it's equalisation, but when it's national (and FT wages) then teams can back their own departments rather than have to do convincing/rely on some extra incentives to draft players.

 

[petits]

They have other picks, they can try to pick Beruldsen and Mitchell later no? Would GWS really want to go for them?

 

[Vacuous Space]

They have other picks, they can try to pick Beruldsen and Mitchell later no? Would GWS really want to go for them?

Sydney only have the five first round picks because they've signed 25 players. Ham and Hurley with the first two, Beruldsen and Mitchell with the last two, with Goldsworthy or Hamilton likely in between.

EDIT: Just wanted to clarify that the order the league put out at the end of draft week is the picks the teams could use in the first five rounds of the draft, irrespective of the number of list spots available. In a lot of cases, teams don't have enough list space to use all their picks. In a few cases, picks in subsequent rounds have to be added. Last year, rounds 6, 7 and 8 were each a single GWS pick. This year, as it stands, St Kilda and GWS both need picks added, so we're in for another 8 round draft with very short rounds at the end.

 

[FoopyNerd]

I actually look forward to when it becomes a national draft because fair enough this happens, it's equalisation, but when it's national (and FT wages) then teams can back their own departments rather than have to do convincing/rely on some extra incentives to draft players.

Spot on. The VIC clubs seem to have to really work to actually find the talent. The QLD and NSW clubs seem to have to work for enticing the talent to move. And the WA and SA clubs just need to not miss on what is right in front of them (though clearly WA has a bit less depth it seems and need to speculate with the last few picks).

Ideally, everyone is on a level playing field with it because essentially Adelaide would have dedicated far fewer resources to recruiting in the past and more into coaching as they had free reign. Whereas other clubs couldn't afford to be bad at recruiting. *That's a guess from me, I have no real insight into the amount of resources each club has for the area.

 

[jatz14]

Spot on. The VIC clubs seem to have to really work to actually find the talent. The QLD and NSW clubs seem to have to work for enticing the talent to move. And the WA and SA clubs just need to not miss on what is right in front of them (though clearly WA has a bit less depth it seems and need to speculate with the last few picks).

Ideally, everyone is on a level playing field with it because essentially Adelaide would have dedicated far fewer resources to recruiting in the past and more into coaching as they had free reign. Whereas other clubs couldn't afford to be bad at recruiting. *That's a guess from me, I have no real insight into the amount of resources each club has for the area.

WA has less depth this year, but the next couple of years should be much stronger.

 

[HereIam86]

As someone who was literally there when Goldsworthy said she was "definitely" nominating Victoria back at the champs, I am REALLY keen to know what the AFL is offering those players to nominate NSW-ACT now. It's one thing to go for Pick 1 for example (Ham), but to not have that carrot means there's a lot more going on behind the scenes.

Ransom nominating GC is less of a surprise given her relationship with her former coach, surprised it didn't happen last year TBH.

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I thought if interstate players want to play in QLD they could only nominate for the QLD zone. They couldn’t just pick Gold Coast or Brisbane only those in the Lions or Suns academy could do that.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

I thought if interstate players want to play in QLD they could only nominate for the QLD zone. They couldn’t just pick Gold Coast or Brisbane only those in the Lions or Suns academy could do that.

Correct I meant QLD (but we know will be GC). Just means they’ll take Ransom before your first pick if need be.

 

[Stan Judkins]

As someone who was literally there when Goldsworthy said she was "definitely" nominating Victoria back at the champs, I am REALLY keen to know what the AFL is offering those players to nominate NSW-ACT now. It's one thing to go for Pick 1 for example (Ham), but to not have that carrot means there's a lot more going on behind the scenes.

Ransom nominating GC is less of a surprise given her relationship with her former coach, surprised it didn't happen last year TBH.

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AFLW draft: Clubs raise draft integrity concerns with league​

AFLW clubs have raised concerns over the integrity of next week’s draft and clubs using incentives to lure top prospects.

The AFL is in talks with clubs over an alleged integrity issue surrounding next week’s AFL Women’s draft and its potential No. 1 pick.
A meeting will be held on Thursday afternoon between six Victorian clubs and the AFL in the wake of two top Victorian draft prospects nominating Sydney as their intended destination in recent days.

Potential No. 1 pick Montana Ham and fellow Victorian top prospect Sofia Hurley – two of Victoria’s most impressive young players – have nominated for the New South Wales draft pool, opting to leave their home state.

Her manager, Alex Saundry, said this week that Ham’s decision was “a university and lifestyle choice”.

Both players are expected to be taken by Sydney, which has the first five selections in the NSW pool.

It has also been alleged by Victorian clubs — which will detail their concerns to the league in the meeting — that some interstate clubs may have been offering contracts to draftees including incentives outside of their playing contract as further impetus to nominate outside of their home state.

It was an issue that was raised to the AFL Women’s competition committee in the wake of Gold Coast young gun Charlie Rowbottom’s shock call to nominate Queensland as her draft destination at the end of 2021.

But despite being aware of apparent grievances from some clubs, the league did not act.

Many clubs feel that they are not on an even playing field when it comes to drafting players, with one club insider suggesting that any such action could even constitute conduct prejudicial to the draft.

“A full pitch to draftees isn’t something you’re supposed to do,” they said.

“Then, it’s not a draft.”

The 2022 AFLW draft is set to be held on Wednesday night.

As part of the league’s integrity investigation, some prospective AFLW players and their families have been interviewed by headquarters.

It is believed that as recently as a few weeks ago, Ham – who is 17 and due to finish her Year 12 studies in coming months – had given indications that she had intentions to stay in Victoria to play.

The league runs a state-based draft, where players can only nominate one state to play in.

In the wake of the top pair’s decision, clubs revolted at both the system and the strategies some allege are being employed in players nominating outside of their home state.

“When it happened, the phones at AFL House blew up, asking what the league was going to do about it,” one club insider said.

“Some clubs traded picks to get picks inside the top 10, thinking these girls would be in Victoria.”

Border talent Zarlie Goldsworthy was on the record as recently as last month declaring that she felt Victoria would be the place for her, before pivoting to nominate New South Wales this week and could land at Greater Western Sydney.

Under the state-based draft system, players receive a $10,000 incentive if they are selected as the state’s top pick.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...e/news-story/1c032d9744534a0e828b0ebbf7e822e2

 

[robbieando]

Victorian clubs complaining about an unfair system being used against them because they aren't getting the full benefit of that system. Why doesn't that surprise me?

 

[PMBangers]

Victorian clubs complaining about an unfair system being used against them because they aren't getting the full benefit of that system. Why doesn't that surprise me?

I do understand where they're coming from, NSW teams have a lot of Academy Staff positions which makes it easy to incentivise players with off field jobs, but we're also a region that doesn't develop top level AFLW talent consistently enough to be self-sustained, we need some sort of allowance like this to keep us competitive in the short and long term.

 

[robbieando]

I do understand where they're coming from, NSW teams have a lot of Academy Staff positions which makes it easy to incentivise players with off field jobs, but we're also a region that doesn't develop top level AFLW talent consistently enough to be self-sustained, we need some sort of allowance like this to keep us competitive in the short and long term.

They aren't complaining about Zara Hamilton nominating Victoria instead of NSW and they sure weren't complaining when it looked like both Zarlie Goldsworthy and Cynthia Hamilton were going to nominate Victoria over NSW also basically leaving the Swans and GWS with no high-end talent. But the second two Victorians nominate NSW or any other state for that matter its the end of the world. It's ok when it benefits them when NSW as such small talent pool is being gutted but not when it affects them as such a large talent pool.

It's short-sighted thinking at best.

 

[PMBangers]

They aren't complaining about Zara Hamilton nominating Victoria instead of NSW

Oh, they could be!

 

[FoopyNerd]

It's short-sighted thinking at best.

I think the comment about trading picks with the belief these players would be in the Vic pool shows it isn't as shorted minded as we might think.

“Some clubs traded picks to get picks inside the top 10, thinking these girls would be in Victoria.”

If they had planned for Ham, Hurley, and Goldsworthy to be in the pool and that's three potentially top 10 talents now gone then maybe they'd have made different moves or fought harder to keep certain players (such as Carlton with Egan). The argument could certainly be made that they knew there was the potential for this type of trade to backfire if the talent they expected to nominate doesn't but this is the challenge. Consider if a club made a mind-blowing offer for pick 1 last year (like what was reported around JHF) with the desire to take Rowbottom only for her to then nominate elsewhere.

It's an interesting discussion, obviously, these moves have benefitted my team, but I can sympathise to an extent with the damage 3 big names going elsewhere can have.

 

[Stan Judkins]

Victorian clubs complaining about an unfair system being used against them because they aren't getting the full benefit of that system. Why doesn't that surprise me?

I do understand where they're coming from, NSW teams have a lot of Academy Staff positions which makes it easy to incentivise players with off field jobs, but we're also a region that doesn't develop top level AFLW talent consistently enough to be self-sustained, we need some sort of allowance like this to keep us competitive in the short and long term.

I think the comment about trading picks with the belief these players would be in the Vic pool shows it isn't as shorted minded as we might think.

If they had planned for Ham, Hurley, and Goldsworthy to be in the pool and that's three potentially top 10 talents now gone then maybe they'd have made different moves or fought harder to keep certain players (such as Carlton with Egan). The argument could certainly be made that they knew there was the potential for this type of trade to backfire if the talent they expected to nominate doesn't but this is the challenge. Consider if a club made a mind-blowing offer for pick 1 last year (like what was reported around JHF) with the desire to take Rowbottom only for her to then nominate elsewhere.

It's an interesting discussion, obviously, these moves have benefitted my team, but I can sympathise to an extent with the damage 3 big names going elsewhere can have.

i think in the short term all this could be avoided by just having the draft nominations before the trade period
that way everyone knows which state the girls want to play

 

[Teen Wolf]

The real issue, which is being overlooked, is that a few school kids surrounded by state league players is not going to make for a competitive AFLW team. Short term and long term.

Hence it's a huge mistake to lump GWS and Sydney together in this discussion. GWS formed a competitive team by bringing in seasoned players who would immediately perform at All-Australian level (Dal Pos, Eva, Gum)--without that foundation, young talent such as Beeson and Parker are less likely to stay at the club and properly develop.

 

[Stan Judkins]

I think the comment about trading picks with the belief these players would be in the Vic pool shows it isn't as shorted minded as we might think.

If they had planned for Ham, Hurley, and Goldsworthy to be in the pool and that's three potentially top 10 talents now gone then maybe they'd have made different moves or fought harder to keep certain players (such as Carlton with Egan). The argument could certainly be made that they knew there was the potential for this type of trade to backfire if the talent they expected to nominate doesn't but this is the challenge. Consider if a club made a mind-blowing offer for pick 1 last year (like what was reported around JHF) with the desire to take Rowbottom only for her to then nominate elsewhere.

It's an interesting discussion, obviously, these moves have benefitted my team, but I can sympathise to an extent with the damage 3 big names going elsewhere can have.

yes, that last trade Carlton did with Hawthorn

Hawthorn trade Pick 18 to Carlton for Pick 25, Pick 28 and Pick 55

now looks very foolish on Carlton's part

 

[Arwib]

Do they expect Sydney to just sit on their ass and cop the weakest draft pool and have no chance to succeed from now until the time there's a living wage and no more state based drafts lol. What else are they supposed to do?

 

[FoopyNerd]

Do they expect Sydney to just sit on their ass and cop the weakest draft pool and have no chance to succeed from now until the time there's a living wage and no more state based drafts lol. What else are they supposed to do?

Well maybe the AFL should continue to turn a blind eye to possible incentives offered to the girls but counteract it by making draft nominations occur prior to the trade period as SJ has suggested. That way NSW can combat their weakened talent pool, but clubs aren't making potential trades with one thing in mind only for it to change.

 

[Arbiter]

Just looking through your draft guide Pie 4 Life, brilliant work. I can only imagine the time and effort it must take to complete. Anyway I see a ton of SA talent deservingly so, but few spots to secure them all in the SA draft. With players Like Zoe Venning and Gypsy Schirmer, could they go high if they nominated the Vic draft? I was surprised nobody's looked at Venning for open age signing.

 

[jatz14]

Well maybe the AFL should continue to turn a blind eye to possible incentives offered to the girls but counteract it by making draft nominations occur prior to the trade period as SJ has suggested. That way NSW can combat their weakened talent pool, but clubs aren't making potential trades with one thing in mind only for it to change.

The AFL isnt turning a blind eye to incentives, the system is designed to positively encourage incentives.

Its not a flaw, its a feature.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

Just looking through your draft guide Pie 4 Life, brilliant work. I can only imagine the time and effort it must take to complete. Anyway I see a ton of SA talent deservingly so, but few spots to secure them all in the SA draft. With players Like Zoe Venning and Gypsy Schirmer, could they go high if they nominated the Vic draft? I was surprised nobody's looked at Venning for open age signing.

They could find clubs for sure. I expect Schirmer will end up at Port having come out of the Power's Academy, and Venning is pretty entrenched in SA and is certainly a chance on her own merits based on her consistency.

 

[Arbiter]

They could find clubs for sure. I expect Schirmer will end up at Port having come out of the Power's Academy, and Venning is pretty entrenched in SA and is certainly a chance on her own merits based on her consistency.

So you expect them to nominate SA but if they slip through, they can get signed as free agents.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

So you expect them to nominate SA but if they slip through, they can get signed as free agents.

They could, I was more addressing if they went to the Vic pool. FA's aren't predominant as clubs often identify players they know won't get picked up and allow for it. I'd be more confident about Schirmer than Venning in terms of being drafted, but both are certainly a solid chance.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

Well Symonds was talking about going outside the Vic pool, in fact I believe there were reports has was talking to some SA prospects. Considering the Vic Draft has been turned upside down, do you think Venning would be fitting as pick 30?

I think she would probably be there at the next one. I get the feeling they might even go a more experienced one, or maybe a even a Queenslander with state league experience. They’ve got quite a few players they’ve chatted to.

 

[Arbiter]

I think she would probably be there at the next one. I get the feeling they might even go a more experienced one, or maybe a even a Queenslander with state league experience. They’ve got quite a few players they’ve chatted to.

Like Jess Bates SA? Who are you thinking for Queensland?