Player Watch 2025 AFL Draft Thread (Welcome to our new Central Districts overlords!)

[hfc70]

If we draft Farrow, I'll be annoyed tbh, Cal Twomey has managed to get the best player in Sharp to Essendon and is trying to convince us to take Farrow, Essendon are laughing at us if it happens, im convinced this is a conspiracy lol

Send MM your email address so he gets this right. Let’s hope he is on the same page as you or we could be in trouble

 

[chopflop]

Grlj without hesitation at our pick. Think he carries some bust-risk. But his running numbers at the combine are just elite. He is bankable at least on that trait. I was impressed with some of his stoppage vision also - could really develop into something special with an AFL body.

 

[To the Hawk]

I think it's because neither Ward nor Mackenzie do the particular job that Sam super clearly identified as wanting to add to this group.
A player who wins it at/near the coalface and then has the speed to exit via the front. The front part being super important I reckon because that's a very specific game skill.
A player who breaks the game open, dynamic, super hard to sit on because they are looking to win the ball themselves first.

Though I'm a fan of both Wardy and Mack and think they will add considerably to the on-ball unit, I disagree that we have 'plenty enough'.

The player you've described is what Watson will become. I think we will see him attending more CBAs in 2026, but he's still a few preseasons away from having the engine required.

Kosi Pickett is my favourite non hawk player, Watson's first 2 years are tracking as good if not better than Kosi. It was only this year, his 6th in the AFL, Kosi moved to that electric centre mid player. Takes time.

We've yet to really see it, but Sam has mentioned that Mackenzie is actually our most powerful athlete. His power through his legs is the most explosive over the first 10-20m. It's his tank that's really holding him back and you only have to look at his game time.

I suspect when he truly believes in himself at the level we will see Mackenzie really show the ability to break from stoppage. I still think he's as big a talent as most anyone on our list, I wouldn't have traded him 1:1 for Merrett.

 

[sohsam]

Sharp will likely not be available at our pick though. If he somehow is, then he is a no brainer for us at pick 10. We may need Pick 2 for him though, and I don’t see how we trade to get that pick.

My previous point was, we take best available at 10 (or trade down/out), and Farrow may well be at the top of our draft board when we are on the clock.

fair point and I was forgetting draft is about the future, those that have not had the exposure yet to be stars for us to take with picks that we have in first 2 rounds. We apparently have a WA scout and West coast interested in Farrow, we either take him or trade down and get an extra pick for another player with upside as much as Farrow. There should be a few sliders with our second pick too, like Barker, Emmet, NHH. With Greeves if that is best he can do in 3 years, then not good enough, certainly not with first pick, even with second pick, if here is there, there are better prospects, but if we need him for the position he plays and we lack that, then maybe. I think we will just play maginness to tag Jai's tagger to get Jai some freedom and we still have nash who has some physicality about him. They have either not put together good video clips of greeves or that is just who he is, Farrow with more limited exposure and two people hanging off him, can get a handball away, greeves just too slow to get an effective handball and you have sharp going up in the air and doing a fancy quick effective handball away. If you are slow, you need to have a high iq or more tricks in the bag to mask your deficiencies, I have not seen those.

 

[lethalselbow09]

I think Grlj will slide to us. X Taylor is too good to pass on. Farrow I have reservations on, looked like he struggled a bit stepping up to senior footy this year.

 

[TylerDurden]

Meet the AFL prospect with the best kick in this year’s draft class

Josh Lindsay works as hard at his craft as any of his draft peers, and is poised to be a first-round pick in this year’s draft.

www.theage.com.au

 

[lethalselbow09]

I was a huge Ollie Greeves fan. But the kid just doesn’t have a tank good enough for afl level

 

[To the Hawk]

Feel there's going to be plenty of misses in the top 25 of this draft tbh.

In the 'open' picks from 6 onwards there is just such differences in opinion from industry and clubland. For example a player like Sharp might go to Bombers first pick, or get through to us. Grlj, might go to tigers or get through to us.

Generally you know the top 10-12 with clubs even trying to trade up for a player. No1 is really wanting to trade up to get any of this crop.

Seems that most players have a part of there game giving recruiters concerns. Be it speed and athleticm, contest and accumulation, kicking or size.

I actually like where we will be picking from, especially at 22 because it's a chance to take someone that really slides.

We've got a really good recruitment team and are great at developing talent, so I think at least one of the 2 we take early will contribute in time.

If I had a preference I think NHH has massive upside and match winning ability... Grlj I get it with his speed, but not sure on his kicking and generally that's hard to teach. Has Hartung vibes a bit.

NHH and Greaves with our second pick. Just can't pass on a genuine ball winner given it's an area of weakness. Cripps had the same concerns and slid a little. Oscar Taylor also fits a need for a small defender on our list.

Lindsay don't want at all. It's nice to kick it well, but he'll get completely carved up trying to defend at AFL level.

Farrow hasn't showed he can play mid and isn't overly quick. Let Eagles take him to be Gibney 2.0

 

[sohsam]

I completely disagree. We have a lot of straight line runners that can carry the ball 20-30 meters, but they can’t burn off an opponent or change the angles much. Any more than a bounce and they are under pressure.

Moore, Morrison, Mass, Ward, Frenchy… all don’t have a great top speed.

The only players in that list that you’ve provided that consistently carry the ball and take two or three bounces at pace play off half back. We need someone in the middle that can break lines and also break play open.

fair point, I was scratching my head as to why he would be a top 5 player as he does not have a bag of tricks. I just would not pay pick 10 for him, that is all. he maybe the cream on the top. if we have a problem to win the ball or be able to stop a dangerfield he might be a waste of pick up. He has very little physicality about him. Barker at our pick 2 seems more appropriate if we need another wingman with precision kicking and physicality. If you are looking for someone that can win his own ball that is not him and he needs to tidy up his kicking.

 

[TylerDurden]

I was a huge Ollie Greeves fan. But the kid just doesn’t have a tank good enough for afl level

Hes running a 3.20 min 1km.
Thats moving.

 

[yeahmate]

Pretty decent for a guy of Greeves size tbf. In context it was also better 2km time trial than NHH who lots of people seem to like without any questions on his tank

 

[Rookie Error]

2km is an unusual distance seldom.run in track and field but an Australian has the world record

The women's 2000m world record is 5 minutes and 19.70 seconds, set by Jessica Hull of Australia on July 12, 2024.

Compare that to this

Josh Weddle's fastest 2km time trial was 6:03 at the 2022 AFL Draft Combine, where he finished fourth overall. He has also won multiple time trials at the Hawthorn Football Club since then, demonstrating consistent elite endurance.

Weddle would have an extra 30+ kg on him versus Jessica Hull

 

[Alite]

Hes running a 3.20 min 1km.
Thats moving.

And 6:47 for the 2km.

 

[sohsam]

Pretty decent for a guy of Greeves size tbf. In context it was also better 2km time trial than NHH who lots of people seem to like without any questions on his tank

very interesting, isn't it? it is the romance of not knowing someone, talking nhh up. As far as greeves goes, I think the club will know his strengths and weaknesses more than anyone else, if they feel there is a need for him, they will either trade down their first pick or get him with second pick, surely. I am pretty sure he is on record saying he needs to improve his tank, he maybe talking himself down to get to our second pick, his footage perhaps does not do him justice either. Apparently greeves has speed and defensive issues, most people have deficiencies that need to work on, whereas NHH has been talked up as executing under pressure with goals, being a match winner. perhaps there is uncertainty around NHH too, some tip him to be available at our second pick too. They have totally different body shapes.

 

[sohsam]

Hes running a 3.20 min 1km.
Thats moving.

maybe he should have kept that under wraps and we pick him up with our second pick.

 

[yeahmate]

Im also in the boat of hoping Greeves falls to our second and would be more than happy to get him then. May be a stretch though as its more likely he gets picked up before then

 

[Howe Amazing]

We tried to get Greaves as part of our NGA so if available at our pick 22 you would have to assume a chance we take him. Our recruiters must rate him

 

[TylerDurden]

Zero Hangar got us taking Oskar Taylor and Greeves.

 

[unitedhawk2]

Send MM your email address so he gets this right. Let’s hope he is on the same page as you or we could be in trouble

Did you forget the orange font?

 

[MasterSamurai]

One of Farrow , Grjl or Doveston seem likely to fall to our pick. Listening to draft watchers on YouTube lately, I've realised none of eagles, Don's or tigers really want CDT. Would laugh if he slid to us. Surely they have smarter list managers than supporters!!!?

 

[To the Hawk]

Zero Hangar got us taking Oskar Taylor and Greeves.

Oddly I'd be a little underwhelmed with Oscar Taylor at our first pick, but we don't have a clear Amon or Impey replacement on our list so it would make sense.

Just feels a high pick for a small defender that doesn't have scope to play many other positions.

 

[sohsam]

Im also in the boat of hoping Greeves falls to our second and would be more than happy to get him then. May be a stretch though as its more likely he gets picked up before then

well, depends how badly we want him and what commitment we have given him, we may very well take him with our first pick. Where do you see him falling though? as teams in the 11-15 have picks in 30s and 40s, maybe we slide down a few spots, pick him up and get an extra crack at a slider (it maybe NHH, highly unlikely, threw that in for the irony of that). I thought some said if Farrow still on board, west coast maybe want to deal with us. It depends who is still available come our first pick. Best available versus needs basis, sometimes one and the same, it is how each club views a player.

 

[sohsam]

Oddly I'd be a little underwhelmed with Oscar Taylor at our first pick, but we don't have a clear Amon or Impey replacement on our list so it would make sense.

wasn't he expected to go in the 20s, similar to Greeves, surely we would do a deal to come down the ladder, get an extra pick, if we picked up both of these players, plus a crack at another slider.

 

[phlogiston]

Grlj without hesitation at our pick. Think he carries some bust-risk. But his running numbers at the combine are just elite. He is bankable at least on that trait. I was impressed with some of his stoppage vision also - could really develop into something special with an AFL body.

Semi-jocular question: if we picked up Grlj and he and Mraz played in the same team, and one passed the ball to the other, would that be the lowest vowel count in a possession chain ever in AFL/VFL history?

 

[spudmaster]

Semi-jocular question: if we picked up Grlj and he and Mraz played in the same team, and one passed the ball to the other, would that be the lowest vowel count in a possession chain ever in AFL/VFL history?

Frost, Nash, Day, Chol, Ward, Ryan, Blank, Hill yada yada.
I think it's the J and Z in their respective names that makes it look worse than it is.