Opinion 2023 AFL Draft Prospects

[Dogs_r_barking]

I’m not that concerned about the Tassie factor. It’s 4 years away and he’ll be able to contribute for each of those seasons.

We’d also receive great compensation if he did leave at the point. Think Ward landing us Macrae. Something we’d take every day of the week.

It’s a good point, who did Melbourne end up with from their two draft picks. They were so terrible Melbourne it was a players graveyard, no development for talented players.

 

[Northernsoul74]

DRAFT NIGHT LIVE RECAP: Roos load up, Giants land Leake, Academy bids galore

Recap the first night of the 2023 AFL Draft

www.afl.com.au

 

[Libbaaaa]

Being granted a licence for the 19th team by the AFL was the easy part.

Given it cost the AFL * all and as is the way of sporting codes everywhere shifted all of the risk onto the taxpayers.

I wouldn't put a lot of stock in a minority government that is hanging by a string, reliant on an aggrieved cross bencher who opposes the entire thing to pass any legislation getting this boondoggle up. Thats without factoring in the oppositions lack of enthusiasm for the entire project. Or the financial or indeed the not insubstantial engineering issues at Macquarie Point presents that will necessitate the use and huge expense of using 80+ metre pillings just for the stadium not to sink into the Derwent.

This could prove to be a bit of a problem given that location as well as it being fully roofed and having 23k capacity as a non negotiable condition and central to the AFL granting of the 19th licence.

There's a lot of water to go under Tasman bridge before we start speaking in near absolutes about a player we may or may not recruit being a flight risk. It wouldn't come as a surprise if all of the political and practical hurdles facing this team sees it falling on its face at any of the many hurdles that it still faces.

The current $750m price tag for the stadium is laughable, will balloon out to $1.5b at least.

 

[1961grandfinal]

The current $750m price tag for the stadium is laughable, will balloon out to $1.5b at least.

So true, to do this is an absolute obscenity and all for 7 games a year. The inequality that we have observed in town and rural Tasmania confirms that the AFL and top end of town do not give a rats about the community. As a charity, they are beholden to the buck and this plan would bankrupt the state. In the words of a great 20th century philosopher, “you cannot be fn serious“.

 

[bobs head soup]

Does anyone remember what the justification for Melbourne getting the extra pick for Scully compared with us for cal ward was? Was it money offered?

It was genuinely daylight robbery, ward was twice the player of Scully at the time.

Melbourne have got a lot of free kicks from the afl.

It wasn't that big a difference, but Scully was a bigger contract.

Melbourne got pick 4 and took Jimmy Toumpas. We got pick 6 and took Jack Macrae.

We did ok.

 

[bobs head soup]

People who were born or have grown up in Tassie have a deep connection to their homeland. It's almost as if the underdog mentality has helped strengthen that deep connection. People who have grown up in Sydney or Melbourne struggle to get their heads around this concept.

Do Tasmanians move to Melbourne or Sydney for work opportunities? Of course.
Do they move for lifestyle choices? Definitely.

But being part of the inaugural AFL team for your home state, which has historically been an afterthought, is something Sanders or any other Tassie-born kid will not be able to refuse.

I don't disagree with what you are saying, but the WA and SA comparisons when Eagles and Crows joined are pretty valid given a similar level of home state pride.

Many players chose to go back, plenty stayed with their Vic club.

With Sanders, a big factor is that he is a Launceston boy who has lived in Melbourne for a couple of years.

As such, playing for a Hobart based club may not be overly enticing.

 

[TBOW]

I don't disagree with what you are saying, but the WA and SA comparisons when Eagles and Crows joined are pretty valid given a similar level of home state pride.

Many players chose to go back, plenty stayed with their Vic club.

With Sanders, a big factor is that he is a Launceston boy who has lived in Melbourne for a couple of years.

As such, playing for a Hobart based club may not be overly enticing.

To me it is not about Sanders desire to play for Tassie, or even our player retention, it is about the ridiculous contracts that any new club will offer to attract targeted players, and the fact that if Sanders becomes the player we expect him to be he will be target number 1 for the Tassie team. Think Callan Ward with an added home grown sentimental bonus.
If we couldn't hold a local boy against that kind of money, and Geelong couldn't keep the son of an all time champion, do we really expect to convince a Tassie kid to turn that sort of money down?

 

[TBOW]

It wasn't that big a difference, but Scully was a bigger contract.

Melbourne got pick 4 and took Jimmy Toumpas. We got pick 6 and took Jack Macrae.

We did ok.

We did ok but only because we finished bottom 4 the year we took our pick and only because we nailed the selection.
There will be no multiple first rounders either, free agency has set the value of losing a player - it will be one pick tied to ladder position, potentially in a draft where Tassie has already been given the first few picks.
I don't like that value.

 

[spinningmagnets]

Pretty sure Twomey just said that if Hawthorn goes for Curtin, Dogs will taken Sanders and Melbourne will take Watson...

 

[doggies ftw]

Sandra Sully with the late news here.. going to be an interesting night.

Wow Melbourne moving up ahead of us to get Sanders really would be something

 

[doggies ftw]

One of the reasons I’m a little down on Sanders is he was only 3 weeks off being eligible for last year’s draft. Even just visually he’s been more physically developed than much of his cohort over the last few years.

His big improvement on last year hopefully means he still has scope to keep adding significantly to his game, but I think there’s also a slight risk that he’s just not going to stand out as much at the next level, I.e he’ll be good but not best mid in an elite midfield good.

I don’t see much in Sanders game that shows he’s dominating due to his size though IMO, he doesn’t really bully with his size

 

[Norm De Guerre]

The current $750m price tag for the stadium is laughable, will balloon out to $1.5b at least.

All of Macquarie Point is supposed to be redeveloped at a cost of $2.3 Billion. This includes commercial, residential and public space elements. Even when factoring in the envisaged PPP investment this is also a very optimistic estimate for a city the size of Hobart.

It has all of the hallmarks of a boondoggle. I suspect that the AFL know that the entire thing has a high chance of falling over.

Hence their contribution that comes in at ≈ .02% of the total cost of the stadium in today dollars..

For the record. Id be happy to see Tassie get a team. Im just not sure that the political will or the business case stacks up.

But hey, it's free taxpayer dollaroos, so it's a bottomless pit. Right?

Anyways, apologies to those yelling at their phones about this thread being derailed.

Back to the subjects at hand...

 

[dergert]

 

[dogwatch]

It wasn't that big a difference, but Scully was a bigger contract.

Melbourne got pick 4 and took Jimmy Toumpas. We got pick 6 and took Jack Macrae.

We did ok.

I don't think that's right. Pretty sure they got two first round picks.

Melbourne got pick 4 and another first round selection which - with a bit of jiggery pokery - meant they also landed Jesse Hogan and Dom Barry (but gave up their own first round pick). Or something like that. It was a very complex set of deals that GWS engineered.

Happily it didn't really work out for either club.

The point being that Melbourne got two first rounders for former #1 pick Scully who was a bust while we got one first rounder for Ward who was already a star for us and became a club legend for the Giants.

 

[weltschmerz]

What if both Watson and Sanders are gone (Melbourne manage to sneak in before us to get Sanders). Who would people choose next?

I like the sound of Leak- maybe a key defender to really settle our stocks?

Trade the pick to West Coast for their future first.

 

[Bonti 5416]

I think this is the most likely scenario (but haven't given up on the possibility he might stay). The big imponderable is will we get screwed over for compensation like we were with Ward or will we get undeservedly showered with high draft picks like Melbourne were with Scully.

All I want is fair compensation for whatever Sanders has become at that stage of his career. I just hate having the decision entirely in the hands of others. People who historically have based their decision on their own agenda. Or the vibe. Or media commentary. Or anything but the true value.

I think Cal Ward was out of contract where as if he had a year to run we may have got a better deal. Im not going to start worrying about losing Sanders before he has even pulled the red white and blue socks up yet.

 

[Bonti 5416]

If we are a good side we shouldn’t lose players.

Anyone walking to an expansion club is taking a massive risk on their career and legacy. Tassie won’t be a good side for 5 years if they’re lucky. It’s a long time to give up on team success.

If I was a good quality afl footballer play for a competing team there would be no way I’d risk going to potentially the next Gold Coast no matter my link to a location.

Different story if my current club is a basket case.

His old man is involved in the Tassie development program and himself was a champion players for Nth Lanceston. The pressure from home will be huge.
If we are right in the window and he is enjoying our group, he stays. Anything is a little bit off, he goes

 

[Northernsoul74]

Assuming it’s Sanders, the words I want to here out of Powers mouth Monday night are “We identified Riley a long way out and once we thought he might be there or there about at 5 we just had to make a trade happen. We see him as a future leader of our midfield and rank him in the top 3 players of this draft”.

 

[PurpJuice]

Melbourne have offered Hawks pick 6 + Future first to jump ahead of us and snag Sanders. That’s how highly they rate him.

Lucky for us hawks have said no for now, as they’re set on Watson.

 

[Bonti 5416]

You only have to compare the article in the herald sun today (On Watson) to the article in the age today (On Sanders) to see the difference in mentality.

I can see why the dogs will choose Sanders over Watson. Elite mentality, professionalism and competitiveness. I think we are getting another Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

25

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

(in terms of ready made) without the ego.

Watson was talking about shoe deals, heckling the crowd, proving people wrong.

Sanders was moving home at 16 to maximise chances, skipping proms for a captains run, following in the footsteps of Pendlebury to be playing for 10-15 years.

 

[Bonti 5416]

Melbourne have offered Hawks pick 6 + Future first to jump ahead of us and snag Sanders. That’s how highly they rate him.

Lucky for us hawks have said no for now, as they’re set on Watson.

It is going to be an exciting draft night isn’t it. Anything could happen

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Assuming it’s Sanders, the words I want to here out of Powers mouth Monday night are “We identified Riley a long way out and once we thought he might be there or there about at 5 we just had to make a trade happen. We see him as a future leader of our midfield and rank him in the top 3 players of this draft”.

He will say a version of this regardless of who they select.

For all of the mock drafts we've seen, this draft looks to be shaping as the least certain in terms of how the top 10 shakes out.

Who knows what shenanigans list mangers will pull tomorrow night. There seems to be a fair amount of jostling for a top 5 selection going on. Sanders looks likely, but I wouldn't be putting one of the kids on it.

 

[Northernsoul74]

He will say a version of this regardless of who they select.

For all of the mock drafts we've seen, this draft looks to be shaping as the least certain in terms of how the top 10 shakes out.

Who knows what shenanigans list mangers will pull tomorrow night. There seems to be a fair amount of jostling for a top 5 selection going on. Sanders looks likely, but I wouldn't be putting one of the kids on it.

Lots of chat Curtin ends up at West Coast via trade. Surprised he gets past Melbourne.

 

[dergert]

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Lots of chat Curtin ends up at West Coast via trade. Surprised he gets past Melbourne.

"shenanigans..."