Player Watch 2023 AFL Draft Pool Discussion Thread

[Strapping Young Lad]

Same rule applies to this thread as other years, keep it on topic about the kids.
Don’t get bogged down on what other teams might do or where they will finish.

Trade speculation belongs here.
That's also where you can discuss your mock drafts or pick trades.

Any McCabe, Dear or Maginness talk belongs here.

 

[Brishawk]

Heyyyyyy it's me..Still a birthday party, (my own, roast me you dalty enchillladas) still as souless and meaningless as ever. Let's review some draft prospects.

Nate Caddy - 193cm - 91kg - Plays Like Curnow

There's quite a bit of debate around Caddy. What I've seen it become is "can he be a top 2 forward option at AFL level." I believe we can provide both the learinging experience and pathway for Caddy to emerge as a top forward in the league. We have a dearth of high possession half forwards with good to great disposal that would be perfect for Caddy's playstyle. Best case we have Lewis/Caddy for a decade. Worst case we get the best 3rd tall from the draft. Win/win.

Zane Duursma - 188cm - 79kg

I've done deep dives on Duursma before. His ball use is either fantastic or rushed and to lofty. He gets bailed out by his forwardlinr a bit. But his production is undeniable. 3 or 4 goals a game. 20+ disposals. Constant impact. He makes the team he plays in better, both with the footy and without. Id be happy with him in the side.

Daniel Curtain - 196cm - 91 kg
Lete guess, we "already have too many u tercepting defenders". "It's too much for one club". First of all, stfu. Second of all Curtain is a phenomenon.

Excellent as a back. Excellent as a mid. Excellent as a forward. Excellent as an executiv error football management. Get the guy in to replace kennney (the molewiper). Curtain does what his coaches ask, and excelles at it. If you haven't noticed, we've had some trouble stopping teams scoring. Curtain stops that. If he's there at 3/4/5/6/7/8 we'll be faced with a tough decision.

I trust you are all intelligent enough to understand what happens if we have pick 1 or 2.

Harley or the Wiz time baby.

Enjoy the Lions game. I hope my headache has subsided by the time it has come on.

FTC
Carn the Hawks

Not seen enough of anyone to make definitive statements so I’ll ask a question

With caddy, if he wasn’t able to step up and be a genuine kpf and was more a third tall, can he be elite in that role?

To me, if we had Lewis, Ramsden comes on as a second tall and relief ruck, a third tall who is an elite player would give us an incredible structure. If Caddy can step up as a second tall, fantastic, but potentially for us if we see him as an elite player, I think he fits our list really well.

 

[Dewnior]

Caddy now 193cm. Sounds like he's still growing.

 

[Dewnior]

Not seen enough of anyone to make definitive statements so I’ll ask a question

With caddy, if he wasn’t able to step up and be a genuine kpf and was more a third tall, can he be elite in that role?

To me, if we had Lewis, Ramsden comes on as a second tall and relief ruck, a third tall who is an elite player would give us an incredible structure. Caddy can step up as a second tall, fantastic, but potentially do us if we see him as an elite player, I think he fits our list really well

I reckon Caddy has the potential to become a Roughead type player and with other talls around (taking the best defenders) he will flourish.

 

[burger09]

North would have to be keen on Caddy.
They need forward almost as much as we do.

 

[CHUBBSS]

Sell the farm for two top 5 picks, top end of the draft looks elite

 

[Brant]

We got to pay you to follow MM around.

Or pay his lawyer, if he continues to follow MM around

 

[hawkguru]

I reckon Caddy has the potential to become a Roughead type player and with other talls around (taking the best defenders) he will flourish.

I said this before but Caddy reminds me of a forward version of Sicily

 

[MasterSamurai]

Caddy as a third tall behind Lewis/ kozzie would be perfect.

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

Caddy as a third tall behind Lewis/ kozzie would be perfect.

MasterSamurai I was just about to say a very similar thing. Caddy's versatility and agility, which are demonstrated by his capacity to move into the midfield, would be fantastic for us. I wouldn’t call him a third-tall if he played for us. I'd say he's still a key forward, even alongside Lewis and Koschitzke. He would allow one of them to stay closer to the goal square, which would be a great asset for us. He is great around the ground when unleashed, whether that be in the air or on the ground, and provides essentially another midfielder, but he's actually a key forward. My only questions surround his behaviour and work rate. Either way, it's not hard to see why he's drawn comparisons to Charlie Curnow and is now one of our more likely options. I've yet to actually watch that 21 disposal, 4 goal performance he had a few weeks ago, so I'll do that over this long weekend.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

In order of preference:
Reid
Caddy
Duursma / Watson
Curtin

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

People need to read the pinned post.

This isn’t where you come to celebrate the ladder or where you declare how many picks you want us to have.

 

[nelk boys]

This is the year to target some forwards and creative half forward/wing types. Watson, Caddy, Duursma are the top tier. Wilson and McKercher really pressing hard. Lorenz in that next tier, 12-18. A. Reid has been underwhelming.

Next year, is very midfield top heavy. Sullivan, Gross, Smith, Draper, Smillie.

If we can get Caddy/Watson and Wilson/Lorenz. Then McCabe. We will be very happy.

Jaidyn Ngyuen from Calder looks very impressive too for an underager. No idea how he was not included in the squad. The bias of picking private/bayside players is very apparent.

 

[Dewnior]

Did McCabe play this morning? According to this article he wasn't listed as playing

WATCH LIVE: SA v Vic Metro, Allies v WA in U18 Champs from 9.45am ACST

Watch the next generation of stars as the AFL Under-18 Boys' Championships continue on Sunday

www.afl.com.au

 

[TylerDurden]

Did McCabe play this morning? According to this article he wasn't listed as playing

WATCH LIVE: SA v Vic Metro, Allies v WA in U18 Champs from 9.45am ACST

Watch the next generation of stars as the AFL Under-18 Boys' Championships continue on Sunday

www.afl.com.au

Was rested.

Aka, hidden!

 

[TylerDurden]

Colby. 40 touches.

 

[VandoHawk]

Can McKercher play wing?

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Can McKercher play wing?

Absolutely he can, moves really well, line breaking speed and is damaging by foot.

 

[TylerDurden]

 

[TylerDurden]

 

[Brant]

Colby. 40 touches.

WA u/18 side even worse than West Coast Eagles...

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

Colby. 40 touches.

I watched the second half. I didn’t even bother keeping notes on WA players. They were that bad. Curtin got dominated by Walter, but I wouldn’t blame him as they got Hiroshima'd out of the middle, and he simply doesn’t have the muscle at this time to match up on Walter. Clay Hall is certainly a good player, but there was nothing he could do today. He'll no doubt have a big game in this tournament to solidify himself as one of the top mids available.

 

[Billyc]

If he’s any good at AFL level he’d be a top AFL funded recruit when Tassie come in.

 

[matey]

McKircher and Sanders sound like promising mids. Has it got to the stage where it’s picking the best non-mid talent given our situation that we have a very good core group in this area for the next decade blessed to have Newk, Day, Ward, Frenchie, Macca, Weddle, Worps, Nash?

Is it now time to go all out for the best Gunston type or taller KPF? This is clearly the missing piece to our puzzle. Will be keeping an eye on Caddy or Connor O’Sullivan (198cm and 92kg) “Connor can play as a tall back or forward. He has terrific endurance, and his decision-making and contest work are excellent. He’s played mainly as a key back, but he can go forward as well.” Heard a lot about Caddy but anyone know about or seen Connor in action?

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

McKercher has all the acceleration, speed, and poise in the world. He also finds time and space in traffic where others don't, even compared to his highly talented Allies teammates. I've been watching him for a long time, and it's not hard to see why he's drawing comparisons to Zach Merrett. I don't think he's quite in the top 5, unless a team needs a mid, like Cal says, but he's definitely in the top 10 for me. Sanders has one of the best inside games I've seen for a player at the U18 level. He isn't great with his disposal but excels at what he does, like Tom Mitchell. I think he'll go around the 8-12 range. He certainly looks like Jason Horne-Francis when he's up and running. He kicked a great goal where he won the clearance, sped off from the center, and kicked it from outside 50.

 

[TylerDurden]

McKercher has all the acceleration, speed, and poise in the world. He also finds time and space in traffic where others don't, even compared to his highly talented Allies teammates. I've been watching him for a long time, and it's not hard to see why he's drawing comparisons to Zach Merrett. I don't think he's quite in the top 5, unless a team needs a mid, like Cal says, but he's definitely in the top 10 for me. Sanders has one of the best inside games I've seen for a player at the U18 level. He isn't great with his disposal but excels at what he does, like Tom Mitchell. I think he'll go around the 8-12 range. He certainly looks like Jason Horne-Francis when he's up and running. He kicked a great goal where he won the clearance, sped off from the center, and kicked it from outside 50.

I've got Colby top 5.
Clubs are crying out for class like this.