Preview 2024 National Draft Preview Thread

[Nylex]

Yeah, Brady is s**t cos his rookie pick from last year hasn't played yet.

Travel everywhere….. our assistant coach, coached Sam Clohesy at Werribee last year….,, and he goes pick 4 in the rookie draft to Gold Coast

 

[guapo]

Travel everywhere….. our assistant coach, coached Sam Clohesy at Werribee last year….,, and we pick Blake Drury

We picked Drury in 2022

 

[ChairmanZia]

Serious question how much of his footy have you actually watched?

Live footage non, stuff on the web, some. They were against vfl opponents but with the right level of development, he can become a big weapon for us. Provide we have afl standard development team...something we didn't have under laidley and scott.

 

[ChairmanZia]

Look at Rozee and Butters: smarts, agility and athleticism packed into smaller packages. The thing they have in spades is intensity and grit.

Yes that comes from training, conditioning and development.

Everything comes post recruitment development.

Sheezal, wardlaw are as good of recruit as we will ever get.

 

[ChairmanZia]

We picked Drury in 2022

He's recruited as a small pressure fwd right?

 

[The Dingrel]

Collingwood line up another 212cm Cat B player.

Are we even aware there's a Cat B list?

Of course we are,,,,we just think its where you take all the other club's B graders and worse in the trade period.

 

[The Dingrel]

Let me preface this post by saying, I think this draft is lacking the top end talent of some of the more recent drafts (2023, 2021), but I think it has decent/even depth out beyond pick 50. What it really lacks is that genuine game breaking midfielder who can push forward and have an impact. I also think it's a decent draft for talls, there are more tall prospects in this draft compared to the last 3 or 4 years.

Anyone who follows my postings, knows I've been a big fan of Josh Smillie and called him as a potential pick 1 in this years draft as early as last year, but, there are a few concerns I have about in his game after reviewing some games over the last week or so. Going to highlight some of them here along with the big positives in his game. I also have concerns about Ashcroft, Smith, O'Sullivan ect, but I'll discuss them at a later stage. Just wanted to focus on Smillie as he is heavily favoured to be pick 1 at this stage.

First thing is first, I've compared him to the likes of Tom Green and Patty Cripps, but after watching his game more closely I don't think these comparisons are fair. Other than being tall and big bodied, I think that's where a lot of the comparisons end. Green & Cripps are truly elite inside/contested midfielders, they are physical, they play with defensive intensity and when they get the footy they are able to get their hands free and fire off elite disposal especially by hand. As juniors they both displayed all of these traits that make them elite footballers at AFL level. Some of those traits, at this stage, I simply don't see in Smillie on a consistent basis. I think comparing him to the likes of Green and Cripps sets an unrealistic expectation of what he'll be like at AFL level.

Concerns:
- Defensive running and defensive intensity (Big issue): Simply put he coasts, far worse than Powell or LDU. His accountability for his direct opponent is quite poor and I think this may end up being a big issue at AFL level if he doesn't improve it. It's not a tank issue either, as his endurance is pretty well developed for a kid his size.

- Contested possession: While he gets his fair share of clearances, many of these seem to be as a first receiver rather than genuine contested clearances. He isn't overly prolific getting ground ball contested possessions around the stoppages, which the likes of Green excel at. Often he is hanging around the outside of the pack, waiting for the ball to come to him rather than getting scrapping at the coalface. This could well be a coaching/stoppage structure, but I don't think that's the case, as it's been consistent at all levels he has played at this year.

- Ability to break tackles: he is still growing into his body, so it might develop as he gets stronger, but at this stage he gets brought to ground far too easily by players much smaller than him. For an inside mid, he also struggles to get his hands free to release the footy.

- Handballing when under pressure is also very inconsistent. Far to often handballs at his team mates feet or just fires handballs out to wherever just to get rid of the footy.

That's enough criticism of the kid, to go with those negatives there are some seriously good positives.

Positives:

- Flexibility, he can genuinely play on every line on the ground. His natural footy IQ allows him to stay involved whether he plays through he midfield, across half back or in the forward line. He isn't a big contested marker, but his leading patterns when playing forward are really impressive.

- Accumulation on the outside and around the ground: He finds the footy all around the ground, and finds it with ease. Short little leads, to provide an outlet from the back half are a real feature in his game. Allows him to stay involved and use his long kicking to break defensive zones. We need more midfielders doing that.

- Speed from stoppages: When he gets clean possession from the stoppages, he has a quick first few steps that allows him to break away and kick long into the forward line. He isn't overly quick, but he isn't one paced like many of the big bodied midfielders in the AFL.

- Movement around stoppages: Very rarely does he stand flat footed around the stoppages. He is always on the move, trying his best to read the taps so that he is on the move when he takes possession. When it works, it results in very clean ball movement from the stoppages.

Curious to see if anyone else has noticed this traits in his game.

Looking forward to watching him more closely at the championships, to make sure my eyes aren't deceiving me.

hmmm, more of a Bont perhaps than a Cripps, Green, Wines? Seriously though, there was a lot made of Curtin's ability to also be a big body mid going into last year's draft from what I can tell Smillie is a much more natural mid than Curtin. He might not elevate himself above the pack as a clear #1 pick at this stage the way Reid did for a couple of seasons but those bigger guys take a little more time and could well do that at nationals. I guess the question is, whether or not he is enough of a point of difference to warrant a #1 pick (which I have a feeling will be going to Richmond anyway)?

 

[Souup]

Look at Rozee and Butters: smarts, agility and athleticism packed into smaller packages. The thing they have in spades is intensity and grit.

You could have been describing Finn O'Sullivan with those 3 words.

 

[ferball]

Travel everywhere….. our assistant coach, coached Sam Clohesy at Werribee last year….,, and he goes pick 4 in the rookie draft to Gold Coast

You'd rather him to Maley?

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

You could have been describing Finn O'Sullivan with those 3 words.

Then he’s the guy we should go for.

 

[ferball]

You could have been describing Finn O'Sullivan with those 3 words.

Is he an elite kick cos I'm getting pretty sick of turnovers from shit kicks.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Can’t see Finn getting taken ahead of Smillie

Would need to come out and dominate the back end of the year

Even then I think Smillie has done enough and provides the big body we need in the midfield

 

[Hazey1977]

Qualifies him as Next Gen Academy.

Refugee from SA. IHRC will make it happen.

Sent from my SM-G781B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[ChairmanZia]

hmmm, more of a Bont perhaps than a Cripps, Green, Wines? Seriously though, there was a lot made of Curtin's ability to also be a big body mid going into last year's draft from what I can tell Smillie is a much more natural mid than Curtin. He might not elevate himself above the pack as a clear #1 pick at this stage the way Reid did for a couple of seasons but those bigger guys take a little more time and could well do that at nationals. I guess the question is, whether or not he is enough of a point of difference to warrant a #1 pick (which I have a feeling will be going to Richmond anyway)?

A bont, well well, i wouldn't say no to that.

If we don't get pick 2 then we will prob get trainor, we could split pick 2 with pick 5 and a later pick to also get one of the whitlock brother.

Trainor would fit in very well with comben and w.dawson as a third tall. I can see that happening.

Another key fwd, im afraid we need to throw huge money with long contract or if the right player falls out way, i.e. waite.

 

[muttley45]

Elite disposal should be ahead of size, as a desirable attribute, of course both is ideal and rare, but what good is a big bodied midfielder who is a shit kick ? nothing more than a glorified meat shield.

 

[Slamming Sam]

Elite disposal should be ahead of size, as a desirable attribute, of course both is ideal and rare, but what good is a big bodied midfielder who is a s**t kick ? nothing more than a glorified meat shield.

Exactly. Could easily see Clarko choosing Finn O'Sullivan over Josh Smillie.

 

[hilly]

You'd rather him to Maley?

Serious question?

On SM-S901E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[ROYAL EAGLE]

Nah I think you're spot on. I think the thing that still makes Smillie an intriguing prospect is that his agility and ability to get the ball from his hands to his foot quickly and precisely is something very rare in a player standing 194cm.

On the other hand, my biggest concerns with him is that he's not particularly strong overhead, his defensive side isn't there yet and as you mentioned, he's not exactly a high contested possession bull type like an Oliver, Cripps or Green.

He has the size and can find it, but he doesn't quite have the other traits you'd expect and want in a 194cm midfielder. Maybe a better way of phrasing it is that they're not features of his game to this point.

Just on that like Cripps in his draft year he has very good hands in tight and is good at groundball even with that size
Cripps in his draft year wasn't as good as Smillie and i think i was his biggest fan in his draft year

He is intriguing to me as a point of difference

Finn O'Sullivan seems a little slow but has great depth of kicking and is amazing over head, also his intensity could be better

Really want to see his 20m and 2k times and agility testing that would change my mind for him being number 1 if there good

Really love Trainor I hoping he lasts to WCE pick reminds me of Geelong's Tom Stewart

Sid Draper and Jagga Smith the others I really like

Going to be a good top 5 this year

 

[The Talent Scout]

What if we went for Finn O'Sullivan and paired him with Finbar this year and then recruited Finn Callaghan and Finn McGuinness in 2026..

More Finn's than Seaworld..

 

[Souup]

Every week Kako is spending more time in the midfield for Calder and its starting to pay off big time for both his own form and that of his team. He was dynamic with his ability to win contested footy and bust clear for damaging possessions, pumping it inside 50 12 times and setting up a number of shots on goal for his teammates. On a rainy and slippery day, Kako's cleanness with the footy stood out.

There's not a better fit for our football club than this bloke. Working out how we can get a pick to land him will be a big talking point behind the scenes at the end of the year. Hard to know where he'll land but my guess right now is late 1st/early second.

We passed up on Watson last year, but I don't think we can afford to ignore a quality small forward for much longer.

I reckon we'll be trying to work out a way to land both Trainor + Kako at year's end, without losing our 1st rounder.

 

[ferball]

Serious question?

On SM-S901E using BigFooty.com mobile app

Yeah.

We need talls and marking power all over the ground. With the exception of McKercher and Hardeman all of our picks last year have the potential to take marks and especially contested marks. That other Werribee player who went to the cats is more a bad call, with hindsight Mannagh might have been a better option than Stevens but then do we go in to thew draft with 5 first rounders?

I can understand why people criticise the CCJ trade but alot of the rest of this crap is laughable.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

There's not a better fit for our football club than this bloke. Working out how we can get a pick to land him will be a big talking point behind the scenes at the end of the year. Hard to know where he'll land but my guess right now is late 1st/early second.

We passed up on Watson last year, but I don't think we can't afford to ignore a quality small forward for much longer.

I reckon we'll be trying to work out a way to land both Trainor + Kako at year's end, without losing our 1st rounder.

I hope it's not the case but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he pushes up into the top 10 if he has a big championships.

The one thing that separates him from a lot of other small forwards is that he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty when he pushes up into the midfield. Genuinely tough. Would be an amazing point of difference in our forward line.

I don't think there is a better ground ball player in this draft too, so clean below his kness which is a huge issue for our side overall at the moment.

 

[noobermensch]

I hope it's not the case but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he pushes up into the top 10 if he has a big championships.

The one thing that separates him from a lot of other small forwards is that he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty when he pushes up into the midfield. Genuinely tough. Would be an amazing point of difference in our forward line.

I don't think there is a better ground ball player in this draft too, so clean below his kness which is a huge issue for our side overall at the moment.

I think the shift into more midfield time is big. Yes he's going to be a small forward at AFL level, but we're seeing that the elite small forwards all rotate through the midfield to provide some magic through there from time to time. Rankine, Papley, Kozzi etc.

 

[Souup]

...
Finn O'Sullivan seems a little slow but has great depth of kicking and is amazing over head, also his intensity could be better
...

20m - 3.046
Vertical - 90cm
Agility - 8.117
Yo-yo - 1000

 

[Better Loosen Up]

I think the shift into more midfield time is big. Yes he's going to be a small forward at AFL level, but we're seeing that the elite small forwards all rotate through the midfield to provide some magic through there from time to time. Rankine, Papley, Kozzi etc.

Wasn't Rankine more of a midfielder at junior level?