Opinion 2024 AFL Draft - Nights 1 & 2, from 7pm AEST

[anotherletdown]

Not trying to sound smart, but have you actually watched him play?

He was a fringe very late/rookie selection. He would have to improve dramatically to make it at senior level.

His lack of a set position is a reflection of his skills and footy IQ. He'd be starting at the back of the queue and it'll be a hard slog to make it.
He's the exact reason clubs have rookie lists.

 

[wolftone57]

The problem is until they debut they are not "replacements" who are ready. We don't know if any of the players you listed are good enough, and the fact Longmire did not play Edwards and Snell this year indicates he thinks right now they are not. They are behind Francis in the pecking order.

Snell was in his first season & is developing. Edwards is a project player. Edwards has gotten better every year, even with a coach who didn't seem to be developing anyone. Snell has talent. That is obvious but he has to develop his body to the level.

 

[Bloods86]

He had a niggle and was more productive as sub in the QF than the Preliminary Final. Was still backed in over Adams who had that spot for most of the year.

Unless he was fit, he shouldn't have been sub.

He wasn't used as a forward in the Prelim.

 

[Neverwas]

If Grundy and Ladhams are injured at the same time in 2025, we'll only have Will Green has a fit, pure ruckman.

Surely Brayden Crossley

Brayden Crossley

Age

26

Ht

198cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.4

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

4.9

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.5

3star

No current season stats available

D

9.2

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.6

3star

or another mature state-league ruck on a one/two year deal in the Rookie Draft would've been the bare minimum to do?

Agree, we are very vulnerable unless Buller has grown a few centimeters.

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[Tedeski]

Based on the level of frustration on this board, I get the distinct feeling that there are still some of you that harbour the idea that we can do something positive on the last game in September.

Big mistake.

Take that game completely out of the picture and we are one hell of a club, with a top list, great coach, bloods culture, ready to blow the competition away … again.

Great if we were a soccer team.

I hate soccer.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

I must admit, I felt pretty upbeat after night 1 of the draft.

A bit less so after night 2.

But today - Francis, Hamling, Paton ....... doesn't fill me with excitement.

At all.

In fact, it feels like we've gone back to the Lewis Taylor

28

Lewis Taylor

Age

31

Ht

174cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.6

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

8.1

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

9.6

2star

K

6.8

3star

HB

2.8

2star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.2

3star

CL

0.2

2star

D

12.6

4star

K

6.2

3star

HB

6.4

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

1.2

4star

/ Michael Talia

Michael Talia

Age

33

Ht

192cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.4

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

7.6

5star

M

4.9

5star

T

1.2

3star

MG

191.5

3star

No current season stats available

D

15.0

4star

K

8.6

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.0

3star

/ Sam Gray

15

Sam Gray

Age

34

Ht

176cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.5

4star

K

9.1

4star

HB

8.4

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

3.4

5star

G

0.8

4star

D

10.8

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

5.8

3star

M

2.2

2star

T

2.4

3star

G

0.2

3star

D

12.8

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

6.0

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.0

4star

days.

 

[dosser]

We addressed our needs by picking two KPDs at the end of the rookie draft.

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[Bloods86]

We addressed our needs by picking two KPDs at the end of the rookie draft.

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I assume this is a joke?

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

We addressed our needs by picking two KPDs at the end of the rookie draft.

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Its kinda funny seems we have gone for quantity rather than quality when it comes to KPDs

We got it the other way around small forwards are found late and in rookie drafts quality talls are drafted from 1st and 2nd round picks.

Im confused

 

[Bloods86]

Its kinda funny seems we have gone for quantity rather than quality when it comes to KPDs

We got it the other way around small forwards are found late and in rookie drafts quality talls are drafted from 1st and 2nd round picks.

Im confused

In 1 year, we will likely have 5 KPDs (including 3 yet to play a game). I don't see Rampe, Francis or Hamling continuing beyond that.

We're currently at 8, with 7 probably the sweet spot accounting for one injury, though with Hamling likely needed forward again in VFL, we're at 7.

 

[anotherletdown]

This just makes the Bice pick even more bizarre.

No issues trying to get a Cunningham replacement with Leidler, Paton, but both these guys AND Bice (when these 2 can also run off half back)?

I have a inkling Bice is Lloyd cover as well as an avenue to getting Roberts into the midfield. No idea if I agree with it, but it might be their thinking

 

[Bloods86]

I have a inkling Bice is Lloyd cover as well as an avenue to getting Roberts into the midfield. No idea if I agree with it, but it might be their thinking

Probably prefer to have just grabbed one of the decent mid options left, both 18 year olds and mature agers.

Not sure why we'd change something that is working i.e. Roberts in defence.

 

[anotherletdown]

Probably prefer to have just grabbed one of the decent mid options left, both 18 year olds and mature agers.

Not sure why we'd change something that is working i.e. Roberts in defence.

Agree, would have taken Kennedy and then a proper sized KPD if I'd had my way.

Can't quite believe how many good options were available in that 30-50ish range. We managed to avoid all of them and not fill a need. It's quite impressive when you break it down.

 

[Bloods86]

Agree, would have taken Kennedy and then a proper sized KPD if I'd had my way.

Can't quite believe how many good options were available in that 30-50ish range. We managed to avoid all of them and not fill a need. It's quite impressive when you break it down.

Kennedy, Boxshall, Urquhart, Gross, Hargrave.

 

[Kbroome]

In 1 year, we will likely have 5 KPDs (including 3 yet to play a game). I don't see Rampe, Francis or Hamling continuing beyond that.

We're currently at 8, with 7 probably the sweet spot accounting for one injury, though with Hamling likely needed forward again in VFL, we're at 7.

Yep i think we probably need to steadily draft KPDs each year for the next couple of years, we have KPFs coming through the academy and tracking well so its just surviving the next cull of Francis Hamling and Rampe retiring and getting the developing into the side and draft some more developers.

 

[Bloods86]

Yep i think we probably need to steadily draft KPDs each year for the next couple of years, we have KPFs coming through the academy and tracking well so its just surviving the next cull of Francis Hamling and Rampe retiring and getting the developing into the side and draft some more developers.

I'd say a mature ager plus a draftee next year to get it back to 7, as well as offset the loss of experience.

 

[BloodySwan]

I must admit, I felt pretty upbeat after night 1 of the draft.

A bit less so after night 2.

But today - Francis, Hamling, Paton ....... doesn't fill me with excitement.

At all.

In fact, it feels like we've gone back to the Lewis Taylor / Michael Talia / Sam Gray days.

Did you just choose to ignore when we said we would pick Hamling and Francis as rookies?

 

[DST]

Agree, we are very vulnerable unless Buller has grown a few centimeters.

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What the?

There is no other club in the AFL at present that has as many ruck options as we have.

We have a clear number one in Grundy.

A chop out ruck and forward in McLean.

A senior back-up in Ladhams.

A developing youngster who was taken in the first round in Green.

Two pinch hitters in Buller and the Party.

The last position we were going to be drafting in this year was a ruckman.


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[Jeffers]

We addressed our needs by picking two KPDs at the end of the rookie draft.

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I agree. One a former number 6 pick and the other a premiership winning backman.

Onwards and upwards from here

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Did you just choose to ignore when we said we would pick Hamling and Francis as rookies?

No, I didn’t.

But when you have Hamling & Francis (both of whom the club are clearly only keeping on the list this year because they have to), plus now Paton too …. it just leaves me feeling flat.

 

[SSwans2011]

You can only have so many key position players on a list without stifling their development. If you're trying to cram another key defender into our VFL side, one of Snell, Edwards or Andrew has to play out of position.

If we swap to a two key forward set-up (which I think we will and should), we've got Hamling, Buller, and whichever forward is dropped as key forwards in the VFL as well as the resting ruck.

I understand Rampe is nearing the end, but we'd be hoping one of Snell or Edwards replaces him and we draft a key defender to replace them in the VFL.

IMO the only way it would have made sense to draft another key position player is if we were intending to persist with 3 key forwards or if we put a line through one of the key position players we currently have on the list.

It's part of why I have no issue with keeping Francis and Hamling. They improve the quality of our VFL side and if we have to use them in different roles, we're not shooting ourselves in the foot long-term. Ideally Francis becomes more of a break glass in case of emergency player rather than next in line and he's passed by Snell or Edwards.

 

[McRobie]

Kid hasn't even played a game yet, calm down.

26 -30 was his range, has some obvious nous around goal and athleticism, fills a need in our team and AFL is drifting to these types of forwards rather than talls

Calm down? It’s just a difference of opinion, is that ok?
He was ranked 26-30, by who? That’s just not true.
He consistently ranked outside of the top 50 in mock drafts and rankings.

 

[wolftone57]

If a tagger impacts the player they are on, that's a win. Would I put Jordon into the middle without a role, probably not.

But yes, I am concerned with the Bice, Bowman selections in terms of physicality, and I don't know why we doubled up on Leidler and Paton.

It's as if we saw zero need for another KPF, or another inside mid prospect. Find that concerning.

We do not need another KPF. We do need good mids. Dattoli will provide that in about 3 matches in. Sheldrick & Datoli in & soft players out. Because they are both hard nuts. Dattoli is an inside mid, or was before they needed to play him forward.

 

[wolftone57]

He can't defend.
None of the blokes that play defence can defend one on one & make it 50/50.

Who says Florent can't defend? He did a pretty good job of it in most matches. Unfortunately, he and other defenders were caught out in the GF because the ball was coming in so quickly even Silvagni would have found it hard. If we win the mids it is far easier for the defenders. But that doesn't happen often enough.

 

[wolftone57]

I in no way, shape or form, wanted a half back.

I think I half-jokingly mentioned Angus Clarke, from my hometown.

Lockdown small/medium yes. Though I don't know why we used both rookie picks with the midfield and KPP talent still available.

we have enough KPP. What we need is a midfield that actually wins contested ball