Preview 2024 National Draft Preview Thread

[roos_fanatic08]

In a huge clash between pick 1 contenders Josh Smillie clearly got the better of Finn O'Sullivan on the day. He was strong at the contest, clean by foot and got forward to bag a couple of goals.

Thanks noobermensch! Looking forward to watching your clips again this year.

I’m a big big fan of Smillie but this clip perfectly highlights a couple of things for mine.

1. His marking is a little bit inconsistent, capable of taking really strong contested marks, but can also drop east sitters.

2. Despite his size advantage when he gets tackled he sometimes struggles to get his hands free to fire off handballs. This is a big part of the effectiveness that the best big bodied mids (Cripps, Bont, Green ect) are excellent at. Our very own Ben Cunnington was a master at it and it’s something that Smillie will have to improve if he is going to be that monster inside mid that everyone expects him to be!

On the positive side you can see his creativity, his kicking skill and his ability to cover the ground which is awesome for a kid his size/age.

 

[the big lebowski]

Thanks noobermensch! Looking forward to watching your clips again this year.

I’m a big big fan of Smillie but this clip perfectly highlights a couple of things for mine.

1. His marking is a little bit inconsistent, capable of taking really strong contested marks, but can also drop east sitters.

2. Despite his size advantage when he gets tackled he sometimes struggles to get his hands free to fire off handballs. This is a big part of the effectiveness that the best big bodied mids (Cripps, Bont, Green ect) are excellent at. Our very own Ben Cunnington was a master at it and it’s something that Smillie will have to improve if he is going to be that monster inside mid that everyone expects him to be!

On the positive side you can see his creativity, his kicking skill and his ability to cover the ground which is awesome for a kid his size/age.

That hand pass at 50 seconds was outrageous

 

[ferball]

Max Mapley = The The?

That's twice in a week that band's been mentioned.

 

[Shermanator]

Max Mapley = The The?

Max Mapley = The Pepsi

 

[Shinboner1]

IMO Smillie is a better fit - we don't have an 190 plus midfield bull.

Powell 1.84
Simpkin 1.82
LDU 1.88
Wardlaw - 1.82
McKercher - 1.80
Sheezel 1.85
Phillips 1.80
Tucker 1.84
Lazzaro 1.80

Smillie 1.94 V O'Sullivan 1.82

its probably the last thing we're missing from our midfield mix

 

[lockheed]

its probably the last thing we're missing from our midfield mix

We can always throw Cam into the midfield for a few minutes each quarter

 

[My Left Foote]

That's twice in a week that band's been mentioned.

Not a huge fan of The The, but The Beat(en) Generation is a great song.

 

[marklovesbeer]

That's twice in a week that band's been mentioned.

Some bloke at the pub was telling me about them the other day. Said they’re almost his favourite band. They’re touring here later this year.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Jonty Faull
Jobe Shanahan
Kayle Gerryn
Luke Trainor (defender at this stage)
Jack Whitlock
Matt Whitlock
Noah Mraz (defender at this stage)

Tyler Welsh will be up the pointy end too but he is tied to Adelaide so didn’t include him.

Everyone went the early crow and said that this will be a midfielders draft but I think it’s actually shaping up really good for talls as there are plenty of genuine athletic talls in that 194-199cM catetgory.

Wouldn't be against splitting our first pick and getting Faull/ Shanahan and Trainor if their form holds up.

 

[My Left Foote]

Some bloke at the pub was telling me about them the other day. Said they’re almost his favourite band. They’re touring here later this year.

"Almost his favourite band" so he really likes them but not quite enough to like them above every other band.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Wouldn't be against splitting our first pick and getting Faull/ Shanahan and Trainor if their form holds up.

That would be tempting

But which clubs have 2 mid/late first rounders?

 

[Heaps of fun]

We can always throw Cam into the midfield for a few minutes each quarter

Could also look at developing Ford or Goater into a midfielder.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

That would be tempting

But which clubs have 2 mid/late first rounders?

Someone always seems to in the end

 

[marklovesbeer]

"Almost his favourite band" so he really likes them but not quite enough to like them above every other band.

“In his top 2 or 3 favourite bands”

 

[noobermensch]

A strong, near BOG performance from Murphy Reid in the season opener. Splitting his time between midfield and wing his combination of endurance, agility and foot skills were on prominent display.

 

[Harris 10]

That would be tempting

But which clubs have 2 mid/late first rounders?

Freo have 3 first rounders don't they? Their own, Pies and was it Syd or Crows, i can't remember?

 

[My Left Foote]

Freo have 3 first rounders don't they? Their own, Pies and was it Syd or Crows, i can't remember?

Theirs, Collingwood & Port.

 

[The acurate one]

Hard to find a hole??? Tall defenders? Small forward? Big bodied mids? Second tall forward?

LOL you twit you try and find a hole in an abyss.

 

[King Corey]

Lucas Grego = The Rian Chant

 

[Better Loosen Up]

The last 2 drafts I was all for getting the best available talent with our top picks.

Now that we have the likes of Sheeze, Warlord, McKercher and Duursma, I'd like to see us change to a needs based focus.

I feel we still need to address our key position stocks with quality top end talent to add to Will Dawson, Logue and Larkey to compliment our young midfield. I know we brought a number of guys in last year but we can't assume they're all going to "make it" or take us to a Premiership.

 

[shintemaster]

The last 2 drafts I was all for getting the best available talent with our top picks.

Now that we have the likes of Sheeze, Warlord, McKercher and Duursma, I'd like to see us change to a needs based focus.

I feel we still need to address our key position stocks with quality top end talent to add to Will Dawson, Logue and Larkey to compliment our young midfield. I know we brought a number of guys in last year but we can't assume they're all going to "make it" or take us to a Premiership.

Theory is good, reality is you have to pick the best players around your pick (or trade them out / down if need be - which is always a potential risk IMO)

 

[My Left Foote]

Lucas Grego = The Rian Chant

Lucas Grego = The Roman Wrestler

 

[King Corey]

The last 2 drafts I was all for getting the best available talent with our top picks.

Now that we have the likes of Sheeze, Warlord, McKercher and Duursma, I'd like to see us change to a needs based focus.

I feel we still need to address our key position stocks with quality top end talent to add to Will Dawson, Logue and Larkey to compliment our young midfield. I know we brought a number of guys in last year but we can't assume they're all going to "make it" or take us to a Premiership.

Yeh at some point you can't keep saving up best available capital, you have to take a risk and start building a quality list.

It's frustrating that even if we had a fairytale year and pushed into finals, we simply don't have the KPP stocks to hold our ground once there.

We have nobody with the size to handle a big forward and nobody who can be a credible key forward besides Larkey unless Sellers takes to AFL like a Duck to water. (Pun int.)

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Theory is good, reality is you have to pick the best players around your pick (or trade them out / down if need be - which is always a potential risk IMO)

Agreed but i'd still be prepared to split our first round pick if it meant we could get 2 first rounders that would secure the best available types of player's that we need.

For example, god forbid, we have pick 2 again, if we could split that into picks 9 and 10 and that would be enough for us to secure the likes of Shanahan & Trainor, then I'd prefer to do that then take another mid.

We know these KPP's take a few years so we need to get them in the club asap so they are ready to hit their straps when our young midfield is ready to reach its full potential.

 

[ferball]

Some bloke at the pub was telling me about them the other day. Said they’re almost his favourite band. They’re touring here later this year.

Really? A friend of mine saw them once and said they were really good, Johnny Marr played guitar for them. He played guitar for Paul Kelly, Stephen Cummings and the Rockwiz Orchestra so he is worth listening to.

I don't mind them. One of those obscure British bands George Wardlaw is probably into.