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

[Platten44]

Marsh, Greeves/NHH, that sounds pretty good. All three are pretty hard to pick, where they fall. That means we would have to let Farrow go. As someone else said you cannot have too many of those slower big midfield types, if have greeves, do not need farrow. NHH seems more dynamic but does not have the body shape to be inside midfielder and Marsh would be Gunston replacement, if he gets close, will be over the moon.

You can have too many of those slower big bodied midfield types - just ask Carlton fans

 

[sohsam]

He's suddenly been invited to opening night of the draft, meaning he's in the range of our first pick.
Cameron Nairn had 2 games this season of over 30 disposals as well as producing a 7 goal haul. Went goalless only twice and played as a 3rd tall forward and wing. A unique, dynamic prospect that screams a Sam Mitchell player.

Farrow has his detractors, and highlights videos can be dangerous to judge, but look at these fundamentals.


Clean disposal.
Quick, snappy and strong decision making.
One-touch ground ball pick ups.
One grab marks, including intercepts.
Evasiveness and composure.

These are the traits you want in players who are likely to start as back flankers and 'graduate' into full time midfielders.
Players like Will Day, Jordan Dawson, Jack Crisp etc.

So these are my guys outside of Sharp, Cumming and Gjrl, who I would certainly select first if any were available.

I had Farrow as our number one target for our first pick, before a few suddenly said he is rubbish. If we had not lost Worpel, I would have had Cumming ahead of Sharp. I would not want Gjrl. I am not against Doveston with our first pick either. Farrow has the body shape, whether he will develop the tank to do what Sharp can do is yet to be seen. Apparently Greeves tested well recently, so we may get him with our second pick. Surely we do not want both Farrow and Greeves, go with one or the other, If go with Greeves, then choose someone else with other pick, Doveston or Marsh.

 

[sohsam]

He's suddenly been invited to opening night of the draft, meaning he's in the range of our first pick.
Cameron Nairn had 2 games this season of over 30 disposals as well as producing a 7 goal haul. Went goalless only twice and played as a 3rd tall forward and wing. A unique, dynamic prospect that screams a Sam Mitchell player.

Farrow has his detractors, and highlights videos can be dangerous to judge, but look at these fundamentals.


Clean disposal.
Quick, snappy and strong decision making.
One-touch ground ball pick ups.
One grab marks, including intercepts.
Evasiveness and composure.

These are the traits you want in players who are likely to start as back flankers and 'graduate' into full time midfielders.
Players like Will Day, Jordan Dawson, Jack Crisp etc.

So these are my guys outside of Sharp, Cumming and Gjrl, who I would certainly select first if any were available.

I think you have had Nairn ahead of Marsh as Gunston replacement, interesting call, you maybe right. We will know in 3 years time.

 

[Blackhawk42]

I think you have had Nairn ahead of Marsh as Gunston replacement, interesting call, you maybe right. We will know in 3 years time.

Not as blatantly as a 'replacement'. More so than Nairn possesses all of Gunston's strengths other than about 4-5cm of height. To get him at the club working underneath Jack could have fantastic results.

Not against Marsh with our second pick. Still unsure how long the trio of Lewis, Chol and Dear can sustain us post Gunston's retirement.

 

[Dr.J]

Really hoping the Scum bring back Dodoro’s “we got our man” call
Generally applied to one trick average players who take up space for three years before being delisted

 

[DrAbs]

If we trade pick 10 for a future pick it better bloody be for a F1.

Package up F2 for Butters

Pick 11 for 25 & F2.

Pick 15 ain't getting F1 in next years draft unfortunately.

I'd love for us to pull it off but it doesn't look likely, unless there's someone a team really likes when we're on the clock.

We'd have 2026 F1, 2027 F1, 2 x 2026 F2s, 1 x 2027 F2 to throw at Butters. Can always trade those F2s for another F1.

 

[DrAbs]

AFL starting to catch up with our hypotheticals

 

[Dewnior]

View attachment 2477703

Pick 11 for 25 & F2.

Pick 15 ain't getting F1 in next years draft unfortunately.

Respectfully disagree. 25 and F2 are effectively both end of first round picks.

There will absolutely be clubs coming to us on trade night willing to trade their F1 for pick 10 which may also involve other pick swaps.

 

[Changa10]

I had Farrow as our number one target for our first pick, before a few suddenly said he is rubbish. If we had not lost Worpel, I would have had Cumming ahead of Sharp. I would not want Gjrl. I am not against Doveston with our first pick either. Farrow has the body shape, whether he will develop the tank to do what Sharp can do is yet to be seen. Apparently Greeves tested well recently, so we may get him with our second pick. Surely we do not want both Farrow and Greeves, go with one or the other, If go with Greeves, then choose someone else with other pick, Doveston or Marsh.

Trouble is we won’t know if Greeves is still on the board at 22 when we are picking at 10. If Farrow is the kid at the top of our list when we are on the clock, we have two choices:

Pick him at 10, or
Trade out.

I say this as I assume we take best available at pick 10.

We don’t pass him up in favour of Greeves at 22, with potentially 11 picks between 10 & 22, do we?

 

[hfc70]

Tuesday night cannot come quick enough for me.
Some of the stuff getting talked about is comical at best.

 

[Davo-27]

With the assumption that the top 10 or so are, in no order

Duursma
Sharp
CDT
Uwland*
Patterson*
Dean*
Annable*
X Taylor
Robey
Cumming
Melb potentially go 2 bolters in Pickett and Nairn
Carlton trade to ??? and they pick ???

Pick 10 pushes out to 14, In order of My preference in this case is Grlj a run and carry mid with decent contest ability, then Josh Lindsay a quality kicker with composure, maybe a Mitch Marsh who is a dangerous forw, we could go Greeves but he isn't as dynamic(slow like Smillie), but has great hands in tight and seems to always perform at a very high level (eastern premiership, 2nd best at champs in u16s and u18s) like Sharp has for the last 3 years, in champs footy which is the closest comparison to AFL footy these juniors get, Aidan Schubert could be a great pick up to develop but not a huge need atm, if he becomes the next great forw he might jump ahead of Lewis and Chol in future?

Pick 22 which will be 25 or so on the night we could go a different type, Marsh could still be available?, NHH is an option, highly skilled forw who used to be a good mid, I really like the contest and fight in Mikunda as a hhf who is a goal assist machine i50 delivery and creative player, Harley Barker could still be on the board he is a quality running wing who loves a goal, Sam Allen an injured mid who was highly rated could be an option, Riley Onley is a big 195cm mid with speed on the run

Next pick we could look at a Fred Rodriguez, Blake Kelly, one of the many good young rucks like Taj Murray, Sam Ainsworth, Louis Emmett, Krasmadamskis, Cody Curtin as a kpf could be available like Schubert it isn't a need but could be worth investing in for the future?

I think this is the best strategy for the HFC to take into the 2 draft night's imo, trading into next year with Tassie pillaging the talent isn't the best idea imo, unless you have some guarantees from the Butters camp, best to use the picks in this draft, every year the current draft is under rated and the future drafts are over rated, so don't fall for the nonsense imo, there is quality in every section of the draft as athletes are over rated especially this year and footballers under rated, let the others pick up the Chessers and the Philp types

 

[Blackhawk42]

Tuesday night cannot come quick enough for me.
Some of the stuff getting talked about is comical at best.

That's a bit of a shame considering the draft is on Wednesday. Then the second round onwards on Thursday.

 

[sohsam]

Trouble is we won’t know if Greeves is still on the board at 22 when we are picking at 10. If Farrow is the kid at the top of our list when we are on the clock, we have two choices:

Pick him at 10, or
Trade out.

I say this as I assume we take best available at pick 10.

We don’t pass him up in favour of Greeves at 22, with potentially 11 picks between 10 & 22, do we?

Greeves looks slow and lethargic in the clips, maybe he was just sick, Farrow is a risk too, if he cannot become a mid, what is his tank like, you do not just develop midfield skills overnight. More important question is who is going to provide cover for Jai now that Worpel is gone, do we have someone in state league, surely we will not use Day, otherwise risk early retirement for him. It is not as if any of them will be able to help next year, Sharp is the one closest to getting a game and that is his role, I do not know what it will cost us to get him and take the guess work out of whether either Greeves or Farrow are going to make it.

 

[sohsam]

Not as blatantly as a 'replacement'. More so than Nairn possesses all of Gunston's strengths other than about 4-5cm of height. To get him at the club working underneath Jack could have fantastic results.

Not against Marsh with our second pick. Still unsure how long the trio of Lewis, Chol and Dear can sustain us post Gunston's retirement.

apparently mccabe who is more athletic has been converted to a forward too and he is 197 cm, not sure how many talls we need. take out Jai and Gunston and suddenly we are not a premiership threat, we do not have cover for Jai either, not like for like. interesting selection headaches. Nairn has been rated around 30, just shows these so called experts do not know everything, it is what a club rates a player. That is why others have doveston ahead for that forward pressure, looks like he will be gone at our pick.

 

[2008wasoverDEW!]

Of the available draftees, there seems to be a clear top 5/6.

Duursma
CDT
Robey
X.Taylor
Cumming
Sharp (some have him sliding towards 10)

Players like Grlj, Schubert, Lindsay, and Greeves were regularly placed in top 10 mock drafts earlier in the year, but are now viewed as possible sliders. Although Grlj would be the highest rated from that group, and could still go very early. Whilst Greeves is the most likely of the four to make it through to our second selection.

Farrow, Nairn, and Dovaston have also come into potential top 10 calculations in recent times, with links to Essendon and Melbourne picks.

There's also Marsh, O.Taylor, Hibbins-Hargreaves, Phillipou, Barker, and Pickett. Their range seem to be around that 15-25 region.

I have absolutely no clue as to which way we will be leaning, which actually makes this draft more unpredictable and exciting.

 

[Changa10]

Greeves looks slow and lethargic in the clips, maybe he was just sick, Farrow is a risk too, if he cannot become a mid, what is his tank like, you do not just develop midfield skills overnight. More important question is who is going to provide cover for Jai now that Worpel is gone, do we have someone in state league, surely we will not use Day, otherwise risk early retirement for him. It is not as if any of them will be able to help next year, Sharp is the one closest to getting a game and that is his role, I do not know what it will cost us to get him and take the guess work out of whether either Greeves or Farrow are going to make it.

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.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

A few have posted similarly on here that we should bring in another small forward so we can push existing small forwards to be on-ball.....
Which makes no sense to me???
Neither C-Mac or Moore are playing full time mid because neither are considered good enough to do so. Otherwise, in an area we were looking all season for help in, and in previous seasons too, they were thought of only as bit players. Help, but not the steak.

I don't see the sense in drafting a small forward when a seriously talented/effective midfielder is what the team is crying out for. Not even mentioning that we lost a relied upon servant in Worps out of the area.

This hoping and praying going on to forgo the now in prayer of landing the answer via trade next year is completely nuts.
Draft the best one you can get, even if it means gobbling up extra draft capital, then repeat with our second pick, develop and build our team through our systems.
What we don't need are 8-10 smaillish players whose best is forward - and with no one getting them the ball to advantage.

The way I see it is that we need to strengthen our midfield, but the best midfield talents (Annable, Robey, Cummins and Sharp) will all be gone by our pick, and Farrow* is likely a project player that could take a few years to develop into a midfielder.

So why not go for an option like Dovaston? As he could allow us to use Moore, the Wiz and Ginnivan a little more through the middle. It's not like picking him would be a reach either.

* I'd be very happy with Farrow mind, but I think Dovaston would have more chance to impact the side straight away.

Edit: Grlj is the ideal pick if he's available. For weeks it seemed like he was destined to be taken by Richmond, but if he's available to us then we have to snag him.

 

[Davo-27]

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

 

[Judd2Sewell]

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

How has Cal managed to do that, what am I missing here? Is he orchestrating the entire draft? Or were Essendon not interested in Sharp and he's convinced them to take him?

 

[Nugett]

The one without the vowels.

He got through life without them. He's strng.

So his parents never wanted to by a vowel from Burgo?

 

[Davo-27]

How has Cal managed to do that, what am I missing here? Is he orchestrating the entire draft? Or were Essendon not interested in Sharp and he's convinced them to take him?

It's a tongue in cheek post

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

It is interesting how opinions are different, I would like to know why we need outside runner who needs to polish his kicking. We seem to have plenty of outsider runners. Is Jai the only real ball winner, surely will need at least one more to assist him. The list of outside midfielders / wingers / hybrid fwd,mid that we have are endless: Morrison, Impey, Amon, Day, Moore, D'Ambrosio, J Ward, Mackenzie, Butler, MacDonald.

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.

 

[Nugett]

View attachment 2476538

The one in the middle, looks as if he is a out to jump.

 

[danielG]

It's a tongue in cheek post

You think if Sam Grjl doesn’t go to Tigers he’ll be there at our pick?? Bombers and Demons aren’t linked to him at all.. Wonder if he’s available if we’d pick him or we go with O. Taylor , or maybe Lindsay. if Sharp is gone who’d be your next in line??

 

[flinchfree]

Why are people talking like Ward and Mackenzie aren't on our list? They are 21 and 22 year Olds that have plenty of improvement in them. Both pick 7's and it's like they don't exist. Midfield group of Day, Newcombe, Nash, Ward and Mackenzie is plenty enough.
Lions midfield has spooked lot of people but, have a look at their half frwds and half backs!!! That's what you're really dealing with. Our frwd pressure was really weak last year, Oppo half backs had days out against us, so, calls for another small frwd who both kicks goals and puts on real pressure is not that far fetched.

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'.