List Mgmt. 2025 AFL Draft - The Final Countdown

[Ballin]

I hear you Ballin but if you’re playing as a HBF your ceiling by definition either was never high in the first place or hasn’t been reached.

Sounds like we may just view the ceiling/floor a little differently and can move on .

Agree ... You can be an All Australian as a HBF though

 

[THE_GUN]

But our list profile shows we are in the 5th year of our rebuild .... these will be our 13th and 14th pick inside the Top 30, and our 7th and 8th Top 10 pick added to the list, in the last 5 years.

In the open pool of this years draft players ranked 4-16 are the same level - everyone from Sharp and Cumming through X Taylor to O Taylor have elite characteristics but also deficiencies in their game. In a strong draft pool none of this group would be taken Top10. Absolutely if there was a Smilie or a Jagga or a FOS in this draft available at Pick 3 you would take them (and there is ... their names are Duursma , Zeke, Patterson and Annabelle) But unless WCE take Robey and Sharp we ain't getting Duursma. So this year most of the first round will be taken on a needs basis.

Our need is speed and dynamic players that can rotate through the midfield while playing elsewhere

Grjl played the entire Coates talent league season as a midfielder averaging 20 possessions and 5 tackles (elite). He played HBF for Vic Metro(co-captsin) and RFC VFL. This versatility is a bonus not a negative.

X Taylor played 1 game in the Eastern Ranges midfield and looked good but was quickly forgotten as it was swallowed up by the Robey hype the following week when he took his spot in the midfield rotation.

With Taranto, Hopper, MacAuliffe and Smilie all inside midfielders what are you going to do? add more midfielders? You already see with Ross and Sonsie what happens when you take an inside mid and play them elsewhere - Meh

(Ross was sensational as a midfield tagger this year. How? Because he's a midflielder!)

With Robey and Cumming you have forward/mids but we already have that in Lalor and Hotton (and MRJ)

So I can understand completely if Grjl and XTaylor are top of our board as they both have elite characteristics and if the club rates them as back/mids then they are perfect for our list

How can we be in the 5th year of a rebuild when we won the flag 5 years ago and traded out 3 x 1st round picks on Hopper / Taranto ?

We effectively went into a rebuild end of 2024 so thats 12 months or our 2nd draft
Rebuilds take 5+ years and should not be drafting for needs in the 2nd year when we just need to accumulate best available talent and then trade or free agents for Needs as the saying goes

Draft : Best available talent regardless of needs
Trade / Free Agents : To fill needs

We will have a shed load of cap space in 12 months time to go after players that fill the holes

 

[THE THIN MAN]

WITH PICK 3 RICHMOND SELECT.... Sam Grlj

WITH PICK 4 RICHMOND SELECT............................ Xavier Taylor

Robey Fanboys*

I am eternally grateful that you have no involvement with the draft process.

 

[beema limapep]

Both potential 2025 draftees!

It better be Robey or Grlj or there will be mutiny.

And not even CB17 throwing a 1000 of his gloss red stilettos will stop us

 

[Michaels]

It better be Robey or Grlj or there will be mutiny.

And not even CB17 throwing a 1000 of his gloss red stilettos will stop us

looks like I'm safe then!

 

[Calcium Man]

Barker

Didn’t crack 20 touches once???

He was fine but hardly on the level of Sharp/Duursma etc..

No one outside those guys mentioned put in a series of performances that made them surefire top 10 picks.

 

[SA_Tiger11]

We got a Rookie spot for Harry Scott?

 

[beema limapep]

looks like I'm safe then!

Wow!!!!

 

[ShereKhan]

Spent a bit of time this morning to refresh my memory of CDT. He looks terrific and his combine testing was outstanding. if he falls to us then happy days ! Very Luke Jackson and will be a weapon.

We need to remember Jackson is not a great contested mark - he's adequate, but not great. He's not a great tap ruckman either, and he doesn't have a huge leap. But he is a 199cm player you can play effectively as a 4th midfielder because he's elite at ground level for a guy his size.

CDT appears the equal of Jackson at ground level, if not better. He's also faster and has a better tank. If not for Freo's desire to play Darcy, Luke Jackson would IMO be close to the best player in the competition. When he rucks he is unbelievable due to his ground level ability and athleticism other rucks don't have.

SO the point is....is there anything to suggest CDT is not as good as if not a better prospect than Luke Jackson at the same time?

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

F*** off

I like the way this guy is thinking

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Didn’t crack 20 touches once???

He was fine but hardly on the level of Sharp/Duursma etc..

No one outside those guys mentioned put in a series of performances that made them surefire top 10 picks.

Between him & Leray they dominated both wings.
Barker is better by foot than Sharo or Duursma

 

[Danog]

Also name me a player (non club tied) outside of Duursma, Sharp, Schubert, and Greeves who excelled at champs?

It was pretty dire performances for guys we were all hoping to step up, Grlj, Lindsay, CDT, Cumming, NHH, XT, Emmett etc…

 

[Ballin]

How can we be in the 5th year of a rebuild when we won the flag 5 years ago and traded out 3 x 1st round picks on Hopper / Taranto ?

We effectively went into a rebuild end of 2024 so thats 12 months or our 2nd draft
Rebuilds take 5+ years and should not be drafting for needs in the 2nd year when we just need to accumulate best available talent and then trade or free agents for Needs as the saying goes

Draft : Best available talent regardless of needs
Trade / Free Agents : To fill needs

We will have a shed load of cap space in 12 months time to go after players that fill the holes

Look at the list profile ...

We are playing the rebuild game with a cheat code ... we are already at year 5 one year after bottoming out ...

We took 2 1sts and 5 inside 30 in 21 ... we added 2 Top 10 picks inside mids in 22 filling the list void of players from the 2015 and 2016 drafts

Clearly we didn't choose to bottom out until 24 but the age and games played profile is 5 years into a rebuild. Successful rebuilds take 10 years ... we will get there in 7-8

We took 6 first round picks last year and have added 10 first round picks in the last 4 years.

I like the way this guy is thinking

I'd give the Bombers Pick 3, F2 and 38 for 5 and 6. They might just be dumb enough to do that ...

Say hello to Grjl Taylor and CDT

 

[tigerfan1961]

How can we be in the 5th year of a rebuild when we won the flag 5 years ago and traded out 3 x 1st round picks on Hopper / Taranto ?

We effectively went into a rebuild end of 2024 so thats 12 months or our 2nd draft
Rebuilds take 5+ years and should not be drafting for needs in the 2nd year when we just need to accumulate best available talent and then trade or free agents for Needs as the saying goes

Draft : Best available talent regardless of needs
Trade / Free Agents : To fill needs

We will have a shed load of cap space in 12 months time to go after players that fill the holes

I think you’re misunderstanding what he’s trying to say? Either that or I am I think he means with what we’ve taken in early picks in the draft over the last few years, we have drafted 5 years worth of talent, if that makes sense?

 

[Mr Magic]

Feels like he got Lalor and FOS right last year so double downed on an X-factor, athletic type

lol, Lalor and FOS where no brainers, plus he is touching base with those around the industry

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Look at the list profile ...

We are playing the rebuild game with a cheat code ... we are already at year 5 one year after bottoming out ...

We took 2 1sts and 5 inside 30 in 21 ... we added 2 Top 10 picks inside mids in 22 filling the list void of players from the 2015 and 2016 drafts

Clearly we didn't choose to bottom out until 24 but the age and games played profile is 5 years into a rebuild. Successful rebuilds take 10 years ... we will get there in 7-8

We took 6 first round picks last year and have added 10 first round picks in the last 4 years.


I'd give the Bombers Pick 3, F2 and 38 for 5 and 6. They might just be dumb enough to do that ...

Say hello to Grjl Taylor and CDT

Wouldn't give our f2

 

[Ballin]

Wouldn't give our f2

Sorry FF2

 

[Never 9th]

I am eternally grateful that you have no involvement with the draft process.

prepare yourself for a robey-less richmond brother

 

[Danog]

I'd give the Bombers Pick 3, F2 and 38 for 5 and 6. They might just be dumb enough to do that ...

Nah, I want Robey

If they want CDT that badly, they can have Pick 4, 38, F3 & FF3 for 5 & 6.

 

[Mr Magic]

Jesus he really is pushing Taylor & Grlj to Richmond isnt he
Based on list needs , Surely he should know when drafting specially in the 2nd year of a rebuild you dont draft for needs but the best talent and when was the last time a HBF with speed or a HBF interceptor was drafted with picks #3 & #4 ?

Grlj is not a mid he is a HBF that should be selected #8+ and similar to Taylor
Inside / Outside mids or Fwd / Mids with special traits should be the focus with Richmond 2nd year rebuild

based on what Essendon want

 

[Ballin]

Nah, I want Robey

If they want CDT that badly, they can have Pick 4, 38, F3 & FF3 for 5 & 6.

Robey is exciting but is he just a poor man's Lalor?

 

[Danog]

Robey is exciting but is he just a poor man's Lalor?

They're not the same player. Robey is a poor man's Bont. Considering the heights that Bont has reached, I'll take that.

 

[ivansarmy]

Provided we keep our picks I think we will go with one mid and one that brings elite pace and agility.

See it as being:
Pick 3: one of Robey, CDT, Sharp, Cumming

Pick 4: one of Grlj or X Taylor

I think no matter who the actual player is you’d walk away happy with this.

 

[Shinrisker]

lol, Lalor and FOS where no brainers, plus he is touching base with those around the industry

Not that any people here are experts, but if you look back on last years board, Lalor was not a no-brainer most of the year

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Keep hearing us linked with Taylor, and pray it doesn't happen. We already have enough down back - even after Vlastuin and Borad retire.

Unless you're "hearing" it from the very very small committee of draft analysts at our footy club, then it's meaningless speculation.

I would imagine that every single one of the top 8-10 draft prospects would've been scouted by our list management team, so hearing that we've spoken to a player, and even made some sort of pledge to take him, is very circumstantial. For instance, we might have a plan to draft Taylor if we happen to split a pick, and he's available at Pick #7-#10.

It was a bit different last year when we had #1 and could not be trumped on Lalor. Even then, it wasn't 100% in the lead-up.

If there's one thing we've learned about Hartley and co over the last decade is that they play their draft hand very close to their chest - and we should admire them even more for keeping us, and more importantly our oppo, in the dark.