Opinion 2023 AFL Draft Prospects

Who do you want for our first pick at the AFL Draft?


  • Total voters
    104
  • Poll closed .

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What's everyone's order of preference currently, out of the available top five (McKercher, Duursma, Curtin, Sanders, Watson)? Might be interesting to make a combined ranking for this board, with enough responses. Get a sense of who we collectively prefer. Mine is

1. McKercher
2. Curtin
3. Watson
4. Sanders
5. Duursma
1. McKercher
2. Curtin
3. Sanders
4. Watson
5. Duursma
 

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happy with that - pretty much the reason the board exists :p
Its why I'm I this board, i love talkin about the doggies and footy in general.
I trust Sammy, and he's way smarter than me, but if I had a crack, i would of traded Smithy to the hawks for their pick 4 and a F1 for a multitude of reasons.
SalaryCap: the dogs can't pay The Bont,Astro,Marra, English and Smithy all 1 million each, and Smithy isn't really worth it.
Draft picks: potentally pick 4 McKercher Hawks F1 + 12 +19, instead of pick 6 minus F1.
 
Suspect GC trade some of those 2nd rounders down into multiple picks ahead of ours once draft starts, so if they have to match Walters, Read and Rogers before Croft we’ll be laughing.

Could see Hawks with 44, 47 & 49 and Lions with 39, 51 & 54 looking at moving up to a GC pick the 20s.
 
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Would be great to get Mitch Edwards on the list developing as English’s understudy / successor.

He seems to have dropped out of first round discussion. So might be available later on.



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Still holding out hope we can / will trade up for Collard as well.



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I just struggle to see the scenario where we can. If GC need more points it's because of 3 early bids on players - which are before Croft. So no use to us getting one of their second rounders for a group of our thirds, as it will get used on Croft matching. We can't wait until after Croft to do it as GCs picks have already been used to match by then.

Or am I missing another option?
 
Aren't we developing Croft as a key defender?
One is a proven defender at recent level, the other is more speculative, in hope raw attributes can be converted from a forward to a defender again.

Murphy has runs on the board at under 18 level, proven man on man ability, and intercept ability despite his slight build. Croft hasn't played defence since he was a kid/under 16s. If Croft wasn't a father son, and we had pick 15 and wanted a defender. I'd pick Murphy every time, because I would be more sure of what we are getting. (O'Sullivan will go top 10)

We are banking on Croft being able to convert back into a defender, only out of necessity due to our stacked forward line.

You have a good read on draftees more then most on here. I am curious if you know why he was moved out of being a defender? Wasn't good at it? Coaches see tall boy and think "tall = forward"?

But of course we are taking Croft now, as he is a free hit, so zero complaints. Murphy/Wilson would have been my two preferences if we still had our first pick. Croft has the attributes to play defence, but whether they translate to man on man ability, and read of the ball who knows. Think he will be two years away from playing, still a pretty slight build. Thankfully Jones has a couple of seasons left in him, thus time on his side.

And we get a good player at pick 5, out of Watson or Sanders. So trade period worked out well in the end.
 
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Murphy looks kinda goofy and awkward in defense whenever I’ve seen him so he probably will be a gun lol
O'Sullivan would be the one I’d want out of all the key position players in this draft after Walter obviously
O'Sullivan is more AFL ready size wise. Though a few draft watchers seem to feel Murphy will end up better in the long run. Would not surprise me if both are gone inside the first dozen picks. Adelaide, Geelong, Sydney likely landing spots.
 

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O'Sullivan is more AFL ready size wise. Though a few draft watchers seem to feel Murphy will end up better in the long run. Would not surprise me if both are gone inside the first dozen picks. Adelaide, Geelong, Sydney likely landing spots.
I think they’re both very different key defenders and would actually compliment one another well perfectly
 
GWS have done well picking up good defenders who can lock a player down. Idun at pick 61, and Taylor at pick 28. Shows that you don't need to reach high for a defender. Plenty of value to be found in later rounds.

Same for small forwards in general. Feels like a fair few of the leagues best smalls were found outside the first round. Which is probably why even though I like us to get Watson. I wouldn't be to gutted if we don't.
 
Its why I'm I this board, i love talkin about the doggies and footy in general.
I trust Sammy, and he's way smarter than me, but if I had a crack, i would of traded Smithy to the hawks for their pick 4 and a F1 for a multitude of reasons.
SalaryCap: the dogs can't pay The Bont,Astro,Marra, English and Smithy all 1 million each, and Smithy isn't really worth it.
Draft picks: potentally pick 4 McKercher Hawks F1 + 12 +19, instead of pick 6 minus F1.

I think Reid, McKercher and Duursma are gone with the first 3 live picks, leaving us with watson or sanders anyway. Unless eagles trade down to 2 and take Curtin, in which case McKercher or duursma slips to 4 which would be nice - for hawthorn
 
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GWS have done well picking up good defenders who can lock a player down. Idun at pick 61, and Taylor at pick 28. Shows that you don't need to reach high for a defender. Plenty of value to be found in later rounds.

Same for small forwards in general. Feels like a fair few of the leagues best smalls were found outside the first round. Which is probably why even though I like us to get Watson. I wouldn't be to gutted if we don't.

I think the lesson there is to look at what certain recruiters are looking for in players, rather than talent in certain positions is available until late in the draft.

You can mount an argument for almost any position being available later in the draft at this point. KPFs (Larkey, Lewis, Mihocek, etc), Rucks (McInerney, etc), KPDs (Collins, Wilkie, etc), half backs (Dale, Daniel, etc), half forwards (Schultz, Butler, etc), etc.
 
Murphy looks kinda goofy and awkward in defense whenever I’ve seen him so he probably will be a gun lol
O'Sullivan would be the one I’d want out of all the key position players in this draft after Walter obviously
He was brilliant at the champs. I think he takes longer, but ends up as good as O'Sullivan
 
I think the lesson there is to look at what certain recruiters are looking for in players, rather than talent in certain positions is available until late in the draft.

You can mount an argument for almost any position being available later in the draft at this point. KPFs (Larkey, Lewis, Mihocek, etc), Rucks (McInerney, etc), KPDs (Collins, Wilkie, etc), half backs (Dale, Daniel, etc), half forwards (Schultz, Butler, etc), etc.

Could even cherry pick late draft star mids in Touk Miller, Lachie Neale, Jordan Dawson
 
When you look at the real top line inside mids which do it all, they almost always come very very high in the draft though. Bont, Petracca, Oliver, Dusty etc, couple of exceptions ie Butters & Danger out of the top 10 & Neale & Fyfe etc later. But almost always come top 5 IMO.

Which is why I’m leaning towards Sanders, we may not get another chance up here and whilst we can win a flag with decent small forwards ie hopefully Clarke & AJ etc, I don’t think you can win a flag without a gun inside mid
 
3 Tasmanians in the top 15 draft absolutely a waste of time talking about drafting them.
They will be the Tasmanian teams 1st priority and the AFL will bend over backwards to get them home.
 
3 Tasmanians in the top 15 draft absolutely a waste of time talking about drafting them.
They will be the Tasmanian teams 1st priority and the AFL will bend over backwards to get them home.
If they are best available I reckon you still take them.

If worst case scenario is 4 good years out of a gun mid, then pick 1 or 2 in 4 years time, that is still a good result.
 

Opinion 2023 AFL Draft Prospects

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