List Mgmt. 2025 AFL Draft - The Final Countdown

[db26]

So do all the top draftees. Yes he may be the best natural accumulator but there are other factors that we may be looking at like hurt factor, class, kicking, pace etc. Lalor wasn't the best accumulator but he was the best natural footballer in the draft as well albeit with a different set of skills. You also draft for need and projection.

Sharp has been the best junior footballer for the last 2 years in his age bracket see his champs. His added more strings to his game this year also. He has class and hurt factor. At 3 and 4 you take the best available players no brainer.

 

[tigerfan1961]

So do all the top draftees. Yes he may be the best natural accumulator but there are other factors that we may be looking at like hurt factor, class, kicking, pace etc. Lalor wasn't the best accumulator but he was the best natural footballer in the draft as well albeit with a different set of skills. You also draft for need and projection.

But you do pick best available when it’s your turn to select a player when you have a top of the range selection, Blair said so himself. If that’s Sharp or CDT, you take them without hesitation

 

[Wrenny]

Wonder if Kellaway was a quicker winger/HBF type player if we’d view 3 & 4 differently?

Weird to have someone that’s more likely than not to be added to our list but not know where he fits. I think he’ll be added with our pick 81.

Still shouldn’t impact who we pick at 3 & 4 tho

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Drafting for next year is madness. Literally no one at the club would or should expect that a few 18 year olds are going to significantly impact the senior side next year.

Our senior guys would know what the rebuild plan is and what they’re in for, they’ve spoken about it extensively.

Yep, no club in their right mind drafts for next year.

You trade for next year.

Drafting is for the next decade.

 

[dean33]

That’s spot on dean33.
And that is exactly how our List Manager thinks too. He won’t care about next year, he’s all about building a premiership team for the future.
And contrary to what’s been posted by others, he 100% does look at 5 years into the future and what we will be needing to replace at that stage of development from both a drafting and trading perspective.
Went through his philosophy at a number of presentations I’ve been to and he’s looking into the future and what we are needing to build a flag winning team.

Exactly 100%. They do look at what we will look like as a team based on 5+ years, and how other teams would be tracking, as well as the game in general. So much work goes into it. They are tracking these kids from when they are 14, and have so much stats and data on each prospect.
Its never going to be a 100% exact science, but we should feel confident we have one of the best in the business in charge.

 

[dean33]

No need to draft for next year? Try telling that to the senior players who are just going to benignly bow out over the next 3 or 4 years.

As I mentioned I don't believe our reset is so far away. Lynch if he remains injury free pretty much has still plenty to offer. He is not like Jack who lost his spring, his no.1 asset to compete. Jack did not have the strength or pace to play like Cameron for example, who at 32 is still a good player. Lynch relies on his strength and marking, and he is about no.1 in the league with that combination. So he is still around for a couple of years where our young forwards will be developing.

Vlastuin is not going anywhere for 2-3 years, Broad has Trainor waiting for his place. Balta, Gibcus and Miller have loads of footy left.

So what we need is to revamped our midfield over the next two season. Lalor fit is going to be a gun. Hotton looks much the same. McAuliffe is ready. Smillie should be a bonus next year. These players are not 5 years away. With protection from our senior mids, and in combination with them, our midfield will be much better starting next season.

Are we contending in 2026-2028? The older players know their main role is to help the younger players develope so we can be competitive as quickly as possible. There is no ceiling on the next few years however the club knows our current list demographic is not one of a finals competing team.
Have patience and trust in the process.

 

[Pomsta]

Fair enough regarding Prestia. I'm not drafting for 5 years down the track, but for next season and the season after. I don't subscribe to the idea that we are 5 years from finals. I think we will start to climb next season.

Inside mids are not that hard to find, eg Worpel going for a fresh start. Sharp is a good inside mid, but the really good inside mids also have run and spread with the exception of a few like Libba. That is why I prefer Cummings.

If you were only looking at the next 1-2 years then who were picking last year instead of Lalor (never had a pre-season), Hotton (ACL), Faull, Armstrong and Sims (talls that will take time)?

In fact Smillie was probably the only pick we had that would have met your criteria.

 

[richard parker]

Recruiters earning their money this year. Every potential draftee has significant issues imo. I've got Dylan Patterson at one and Harry Dean at two.

 

[Grrr]

Are we contending in 2026-2028? The older players know their main role is to help the younger players develope so we can be competitive as quickly as possible. There is no ceiling on the next few years however the club knows our current list demographic is not one of a finals competing team.
Have patience and trust in the process.

Never mentioned finals, I said moving up the ladder/improving. No club in their right mind would not be starting next season thinking otherwise. We have added a crop of young kids all drafted under 30 and will add two more this year. The club as long as I have followed it has never seen anything like that, so why put a 'normal' ceiling on it.

 

[Grrr]

If you were only looking at the next 1-2 years then who were picking last year instead of Lalor (never had a pre-season), Hotton (ACL), Faull, Armstrong and Sims (talls that will take time)?

In fact Smillie was probably the only pick we had that would have met your criteria.

And did they not all make an impact but for injury. If they get a good run at it this year they will all be better for it. Lalor could be anything next season, Hotton not far behind. Smillie who knows but he will be a lot better than this year.

 

[Grrr]

Drafting for next year is madness. Literally no one at the club would or should expect that a few 18 year olds are going to significantly impact the senior side next year.

Our senior guys would know what the rebuild plan is and what they’re in for, they’ve spoken about it extensively.

Well next year is a bit literal. Every time you draft, especially in the top 1-20, you expect a piece that will be there in 5-10 years time. So you draft for need and best available why else did we pick up so many talls last year. It is projection, but you also hope they can make an impact early on, like most gun mids do.

 

[Grrr]

Sharp has been the best junior footballer for the last 2 years in his age bracket see his champs. His added more strings to his game this year also. He has class and hurt factor. At 3 and 4 you take the best available players no brainer.

He may well be but all recruiters draft also for projection. If they think he will be the best down the track you go for it, just like they did with Lalor. Nobody expected Lalor to impact like he did. Smith was also the best footballer for the year, was touted higher than Sharp but slipped to 6. Twomey has him at 9.

 

[THE_GUN]

If Xavier Taylor is of interest to Richmond as a defender then We must bid on Harry Dean
Im not a supporter of getting another defender but if that is our plan the Dean is the better option

• Taller defender with similar skills
• 10 Months younger
• Rated the best defender in the draft

 

[Grrr]

But you do pick best available when it’s your turn to select a player when you have a top of the range selection, Blair said so himself. If that’s Sharp or CDT, you take them without hesitation

CDT no brainer, he fits what we need badly. Sharp would also fit, but I think others fit more. It's not so strange given so many draft experts have him down in the 6-12 draft position. Nobody has him at 3 or 4.

 

[Rocco sifreddi]

Zero hanger mock has us taking grij and Taylor

 

[Tygrys]

Drafting for next year is madness. Literally no one at the club would or should expect that a few 18 year olds are going to significantly impact the senior side next year.

Our senior guys would know what the rebuild plan is and what they’re in for, they’ve spoken about it extensively.

Drafting for next year because players won’t hang around for a four or five year rebuild sounds awfully like the Wallace plan of wanting to play finals as soon as possible to reward our senior players. They get rewarded enough with contracts the rest of us could only dream of.

If any get itchy feet they can always ask to be traded. No in the second year of a rebuild you only look at long term and nothing else.

 

[THE_GUN]

If we do go with players like Grlj & Taylor then getting a player like Fred Rodriguez at #38 is a must imo
True mid that is dual sided and gets ball at will and has a good tank but not speed is not elite 3.17 for 20mtrs

 

[tigerfan1961]

If we do go with players like Grlj & Taylor then getting a player like Fred Rodriguez at #38 is a must imo
True mid that is dual sided and gets ball at will and has a good tank but not speed is not elite 3.17 for 20mtrs

I’ll be shocked if he lasted to our third selection. WCE and Freo have too many picks before ours to overlook him, and they won’t imo. Would be awesome if they did

 

[Wrenny]

Recruiters earning their money this year. Every potential draftee has significant issues imo. I've got Dylan Patterson at one and Harry Dean at two.

 

[Oldmanuncle]

If we do go with players like Grlj & Taylor then getting a player like Fred Rodriguez at #38 is a must imo
True mid that is dual sided and gets ball at will and has a good tank but not speed is not elite 3.17 for 20mtrs

In this draft which I see as full of B's with a handful of B+'s, if your after a dual sided player my choice would be Matt LeRay.
Most look at him as a wing option but I could see him being an inside mid at some stage.

I think clubs will look at him as someone who's likely to take his game to another level with an increased fitness base.
Reckon he'll get taken closer to 20 than 38 though.

 

[Tygrys]

Grjl is a hard one to peg for mine. Has all the tools, has a wicked sidestep and his overlap running is great to watch. In highlights, he swoops on the loose ball at pace and one grabs it a lot which is another big tick. He’s hard as a cats head and not afraid to go when needed.

Only question mark is how classy is he? At the championships he was underwhelming for mine, one game he only had 2 kicks - recruiters like to see the very top echelon rise to the Occassion at every level which he didn’t do.

I’m on the fence bc he shows glimpses but I’m not sure it will translate.

At the end of the day I’ll be happy with 2 of Robey, Sharp, Cumming, CDT and Grjl

Has there been any explanation as why Grjl performance seemed so abysmal? Was he injured, was he on the bench for the vast majority of the game or was he given a tagging role with strict orders to stop an opponent and worry about nothing else?

Two kicks in a game would be mediocre for a key forward even if his team was being thrashed let alone someone who plays Grjl’s position? Pick 3 or 4 sounds like a lot for him, so could someone outline the extenuating circumstances if any?

 

[Danog]

There is no way that Richmond will be passing on Copper Duff-Tytler if he gets pass West Coasts pick, the only reason this were to happen is if a godfather offer were to come in but that is apparently highly doubtful (Eg: a top ten pick plus a very high quality future first rounder).

I can also say that Richmond have also done a mountain of work on Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves extending back three years ago to Chris Toce being a huge fan.

I will spew if we take NHH that early..

 

[THE_GUN]

In this draft which I see as full of B's with a handful of B+'s, if your after a dual sided player my choice would be Matt LeRay.
Most look at him as a wing option but I could see him being an inside mid at some stage.

I think clubs will look at him as someone who's likely to take his game to another level with an increased fitness base.
Reckon he'll get taken closer to 20 than 38 though.

With taking Grlj & Taylor means we dont add to our midfield (some would say grlj will be a mid of sorts but he is not that at the moment)

LeRay also falls into a similar basket in he 'May' become a mid in the future
But Fred gives you that instant Prestia replacement that Sonsie & Dow have failed to do

I just feel we will need to add a true mid if we dont take 1 at 3 or 4

 

[Danog]

Fair enough regarding Prestia. I'm not drafting for 5 years down the track, but for next season and the season after. I don't subscribe to the idea that we are 5 years from finals. I think we will start to climb next season.

Inside mids are not that hard to find, eg Worpel going for a fresh start. Sharp is a good inside mid, but the really good inside mids also have run and spread with the exception of a few like Libba. That is why I prefer Cummings.

Sorry bro but I couldn't disagree more with all of your points.

The club have straight up said theyre drafting for the next premiership team, not immediate success, so saying "I'm drafting for next year, not 5 years time" directly contradicts that. We'll start rising slowly in 2027 and be finals contenders in 2028 imo.

As for inside mids being hard to find, you couldn't have paid me to take Worpel at Richmond. Oliver and Steele got traded for a packet of chips. Hobbs delisted. Kennedy and Macrae moved on last year to new clubs for cheap. They are really not that hard to find. Its ones that have an extra string to their bow that are hard to find. Not sure if Sharp has that (outside of leadership)

 

[THE_GUN]

I’ll be shocked if he lasted to our third selection. WCE and Freo have too many picks before ours to overlook him, and they won’t imo. Would be awesome if they did

I can see a world where we trade with Essendon to move down 1 spot for either their #21 or #27 on draft night
or there could be a bid for the eagles father son Banfield in the mid 20's that wipes out their pick #34
Freo dont have a current bid in fred's range