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.

 

[Dewnior]

I loved this name "Diesel Moloney".

Sounds like one of Hairy Maclary's mates.

 

[Noel Gallagher]

It would be fairly massive if Will Elliot could actually perform. 203cm tall with mobility, I actually wanted to see him at Box Hill but spots are a real premium there.

Clay Tucker looks nice but I think he's a ruck/forward rather than the other way around, and I'm not sure that's what we need given we have 4 rucks. If he's best available, I'd just take him and develop him as a forward.

If Tucker is the best available player - take him! A ruckman who takes marks around the ground, kicks goals, is athletic with neat skills is exactly what we need.

 

[chopflop]

If Tucker is the best available player - take him! A ruckman who takes marks around the ground, kicks goals, is athletic with neat skills is exactly what we need.

Still not sold on Meek or Lynch but think Reeves will come good. This is a no brainer if he does end up being best available at pick number one in the MSD

Agree with BPA in the mid season.
If that's a ruck so be it.

Our main rucks all being 24 is kind of awkward in terms of list Management. Probably better to have two main rucks at that age and a developing pure ruck and a developing ruck forward.

 

[pushintheback]

If Tucker is the best available player - take him! A ruckman who takes marks around the ground, kicks goals, is athletic with neat skills is exactly what we need.

Tucker was real good against Northern. From rnd1 to rnd3 there was a big improvement. His kicking is pretty good as well. I don't think he will play AFL this year but if he can do what he's shown at Coates at VFL level then you never know. His ruck craft has been elite. Clearly his work at BH is paying off.

 

[VandoHawk]

Tucker was real good against Northern. From rnd1 to rnd3 there was a big improvement. His kicking is pretty good as well. I don't think he will play AFL this year but if he can do what he's shown at Coates at VFL level then you never know. His ruck craft has been elite. Clearly his work at BH is paying off.

From what you've seen do you think Tucker can be a forward?

 

[pushintheback]

From what you've seen do you think Tucker can be a forward?

As a Ruck/Fwd = Yes.
As a permanent fwd = No

 

[mknaven]

So I've only really seen the Reid Highlights, but reading the chat in here on Caddy reminds me of the Charlie Curnow

35

Charlie Curnow

Age

28

Ht

194cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.3

3star

K

9.7

4star

HB

3.6

3star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.2

4star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

10.8

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.8

4star

narrative pre-draft; "Charlie is an athletic beast, has dreams of one day playing midfield and is (was) 191cm". Now he's the reigning coleman medallist and kicking bags. Dunno how Caddy compares to Curnow. When I read about Watson I imagine a smaller Jamie Elliot.

Interested to see who we take in the MSD, but surely if we're looking at Jed Rule we'd be asking BHH to play him in the seniors week in week out.

 

[robiecampbellbrown]

Harley Reid = Dusty 2.0 + good overhead

 

[Hawk Vision]

So I've only really seen the Reid Highlights, but reading the chat in here on Caddy reminds me of the Charlie Curnow narrative pre-draft; "Charlie is an athletic beast, has dreams of one day playing midfield and is (was) 191cm". Now he's the reigning coleman medallist and kicking bags. Dunno how Caddy compares to Curnow. When I read about Watson I imagine a smaller Jamie Elliot.

Interested to see who we take in the MSD, but surely if we're looking at Jed Rule we'd be asking BHH to play him in the seniors week in week out.

Yeah I really rate Caddy if we somehow got gold coasts or GWS’s pick with a salary dump I’d take him. I think other than Moir who is a freak, Caddy has the highest upside as a forward, I don’t care that he’s 2cm shorter than than a normal KP forward it’s irrelevant.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

So I've only really seen the Reid Highlights, but reading the chat in here on Caddy reminds me of the Charlie Curnow narrative pre-draft; "Charlie is an athletic beast, has dreams of one day playing midfield and is (was) 191cm". Now he's the reigning coleman medallist and kicking bags. Dunno how Caddy compares to Curnow. When I read about Watson I imagine a smaller Jamie Elliot.

Interested to see who we take in the MSD, but surely if we're looking at Jed Rule we'd be asking BHH to play him in the seniors week in week out.

Watson is much better than Elliott ever was and will be.

He's a freak athletically, if the ball hits the ground forget about it, he's so quick is unfair, his agility, and ability to sit on heads is unreal, he's a super footballer with his smarts and skills and he's as tough as they come, can play fwd or in the middle, he could play a similar role to what Rachele is currently at AFL level.

 

[kirbatron]

 

[the big lebowski]

So I've only really seen the Reid Highlights, but reading the chat in here on Caddy reminds me of the Charlie Curnow narrative pre-draft; "Charlie is an athletic beast, has dreams of one day playing midfield and is (was) 191cm". Now he's the reigning coleman medallist and kicking bags. Dunno how Caddy compares to Curnow. When I read about Watson I imagine a smaller Jamie Elliot.

Interested to see who we take in the MSD, but surely if we're looking at Jed Rule we'd be asking BHH to play him in the seniors week in week out.

Totally agree re caddy

Underrated imo

 

[Brant]

Agree with BPA in the mid season.
If that's a ruck so be it.

As a Ruck/Fwd = Yes.
As a permanent fwd = No

Imagine picking up quality FWD/Ruck & Ruck/FWD (for free) in consecutive MSD?!?!


#freeRuckHawthorn

 

[Dewyyyyy]

 

[cryptor]

Is Harley eligible to play some games in the VFL this year? I’d be keen to see how he goes playing against adults stronger than the other kids he’s currently dominating with raw strength.

He clearly has enough talent and other athletic prowess to be worth pick 1, but would be good to know if this fend-off heavy style of play is likely to translate to AFL level.

 

[TylerDurden]

Is Harley eligible to play some games in the VFL this year? I’d be keen to see how he goes playing against adults stronger than the other kids he’s currently dominating with raw strength.

He clearly has enough talent and other athletic prowess to be worth pick 1, but would be good to know if this fend-off heavy style of play is likely to translate to AFL level.

He'd be playing at AFL level right now, if eligible.

 

[HawthornHawk]

Is Harley eligible to play some games in the VFL this year? I’d be keen to see how he goes playing against adults stronger than the other kids he’s currently dominating with raw strength.

He clearly has enough talent and other athletic prowess to be worth pick 1, but would be good to know if this fend-off heavy style of play is likely to translate to AFL level.

It's an interesting point. I don't think he relies on physicality alone from what i've seen, he appears to read the game pretty well when playing behind the ball.

However what strikes me is that his physique doesn't appear to be anywhere near the finished product. I reckon he's just one of those guys with unreal natural power, i'll e interested to see what his vertical leap numbers are like. It's not as if he's spent 3 years in the gym already like Dusty or Petracca- see photos below

 

[TDS7]

It's an interesting point. I don't think he relies on physicality alone from what i've seen, he appears to read the game pretty well when playing behind the ball.

However what strikes me is that his physique doesn't appear to be anywhere near the finished product. I reckon he's just one of those guys with unreal natural power, i'll e interested to see what his vertical leap numbers are like. It's not as if he's spent 3 years in the gym already like Dusty or Petracca- see photos below

This is what really gets me, Reid's strength isn't just him weighing more than his opponents. His core strength is genuinely the best I've seen from an u18s player and he uses it to keep his bearings during tackles as well as to drive through packs for marks. If he finds the Fyfe-juice and starts cultivating mass he could be up at Track/Dusty levels of brute force.

 

[TylerDurden]

This is what really gets me, Reid's strength isn't just him weighing more than his opponents. His core strength is genuinely the best I've seen from an u18s player and he uses it to keep his bearings during tackles as well as to drive through packs for marks. If he finds the Fyfe-juice and starts cultivating mass he could be up at Track/Dusty levels of brute force.

Plus he has aggression and footy IQ on top of those traits. He's the full package.

 

[cryptor]

He'd be playing at AFL level right now, if eligible.

No doubt. As I said, he’s got all the talent and athletic prowess to be worthy of pick 1 regardless.

I’d just be interested to know if we’d potentially be picking up a kid who’s going to come straight in and physically dominate AFL bulls with multiple preseasons in the gym with his raw natural power. Or will he be receiving a wake up call when he discovers he can’t fend off multiple opponents at a stoppage against men - or at least not until he’s built up further core strength on an AFL strength program.

(Also acknowledging a good fend-off is every bit about technique as it is strength)

 

[SSSSSS]

He'd be playing at AFL level right now, if eligible.

He'd probably be one of our better players right now.

 

[kenneje]

How does Harley Reid compare to Horne-Francis at the same stage?

There was obviously a heap of hype around H-F that hasn't completely translated into consistent dominant afl form (I still think he'll be a jet). Do draft watchers thing Reid will be significantly different?

 

[H00t]

How does Harley Reid compare to Horne-Francis at the same stage?

There was obviously a heap of hype around H-F that hasn't completely translated into consistent dominant afl form (I still think he'll be a jet). Do draft watchers thing Reid will be significantly different?

Only seen some highlights of both. JHF was absolutely dominating his u/18 opponents before going to SANFL level and being a lot quieter.

Ashcroft and Daicos however at VFL level both racked up big-ish numbers in their 4 and 1 games.

I think the big factor will be seeing Reid against VFL teams. That will give the biggest indication of how he will go.

 

[Davo-27]

How does Harley Reid compare to Horne-Francis at the same stage?

There was obviously a heap of hype around H-F that hasn't completely translated into consistent dominant afl form (I still think he'll be a jet). Do draft watchers thing Reid will be significantly different?

The only similarities are that the general public and media are hyping him up like crazy, same as JHF, whereas during the JHF hype, I and a couple others were changing our calls to say Daicos was the obvious number 1, but it was too late the hype had gone too far, doesn't help Daicos was a FS, but going at 4 was a steal.

Last year Wardlaw came into the year being the clear number 1 from everyone's perspective, he got injured and then Ashcroft had great form and he became the number 1 pick, but then GWS went for the KPF in Cadman and again the FS prevented the best player going number 1, also the favourite prior to the season went at 4.

So pick 4 is blessed, I guess lol

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

So I've only really seen the Reid Highlights, but reading the chat in here on Caddy reminds me of the Charlie Curnow narrative pre-draft; "Charlie is an athletic beast, has dreams of one day playing midfield and is (was) 191cm". Now he's the reigning coleman medallist and kicking bags. Dunno how Caddy compares to Curnow. When I read about Watson I imagine a smaller Jamie Elliot.

Interested to see who we take in the MSD, but surely if we're looking at Jed Rule we'd be asking BHH to play him in the seniors week in week out.

Last time we played who we wanted from boxhill (Newcombe) we had to change our draft plans and take him first rather than second. I think we will be smarter than that this time around.