2025 Draft Thread

[stefoid]

It is helpful our needs will also likely be best available.

probably. I dont agree with throwing a few late picks at weak positions and calling it 'addressing needs' in general. I just think in this case we could use a quality small pretty much anywhere on the ground.

 

[JohnnySteel]

Despite having some very high quality talls on the list already, you only have to look at Footscray’s line up next year to see why we may end up bringing in Will Darcy & an additional tall with our picks, especially if we see that player as someone who has elite potential (in particular Krasnadamskis who has a higher ceiling than most in this draft IMO)

We really only have Smith, Khamis, Gardner & Walker as tall backup now (if we go with the same structure as we did late in the year).

With S.Darcy, Naughton, English, Lobb, Croft, JOD & Busslinger all playing AFL.

 

[iambrilliant]

Despite having some very high quality talls on the list already, you only have to look at Footscray’s line up next year to see why we may end up bringing in Will Darcy & an additional tall with our picks, especially if we see that player as someone who has elite potential (in particular Krasnadamskis who has a higher ceiling than most in this draft IMO)

We really only have Smith, Khamis, Gardner & Walker as tall backup now (if we go with the same structure as we did late in the year).

With S.Darcy, Naughton, English, Lobb, Croft, JOD & Busslinger all playing AFL at the end of the year.

Maybe it was worth letting buku go and grabbing Krasnadamskis with the later pick

 

[JohnnySteel]

Maybe it was worth letting buku go and grabbing Krasnadamskis with the later pick

I wouldn’t have hated this but Khamis is ready to play now which we’ll need at stages. Whereas Kras & W.Darcy will take time.

Edit: I also think we were fully prepared to trade Khamis if Carlton actually came with a decent offer. But ultimately he means more to us in 2026 as a ready to go option.

 

[dogwatch]

...

We really only have Smith, Khamis, Gardner & Walker as tall backup now (if we go with the same structure as we did late in the year).

With S.Darcy, Naughton, English, Lobb, Croft, JOD & Busslinger all playing AFL at the end of the year.

And calling Khamis and Walker talls is a bit of a stretch.

 

[JohnnySteel]

And calling Khamis and Walker talls is a bit of a stretch.

Agreed - they’re same height as Freijah. More mediums with good marking ability.

 

[Mofra]

Agreed - they’re same height as Freijah. More mediums with good marking ability.

Walker is taller that his draft profile suggests. I don't think they updated the stats from the start of last year.

 

[JohnnySteel]

Walker is taller that his draft profile suggests. I don't think they updated the stats from the start of last year.

He does look taller than 191 (so does Freijah IMO)

 

[Mofra]

He does look taller than 191 (so does Freijah IMO)

He certainly plays like it. One poster here mentioned he was 194cm but he looks taller than that, standing next to Buss and Gards.

 

[JohnnySteel]

He certainly plays like it. One poster here mentioned he was 194cm but he looks taller than that, standing next to Buss and Gards.

On the topic of Walker - where do you think he would’ve gone in this draft? Considering the first round will get out into the 20’s, I think he would’ve gone in the second round; 30-40 range.

 

[Mofra]

On the topic of Walker - where do you think he would’ve gone in this draft? Considering the first round will get out into the 20’s, I think he would’ve gone in the second round; 30-40 range.

No idea, I find valuations outside of the first round very difficult to predict

 

[VitalDread]

If pick 53 isn't for Darcy

Which all Australian will we be selecting

 

[Salad dog]

If pick 53 isn't for Darcy

Which all Australian will we be selecting

Pick 14 & 53 for Pick 3… who says no?

 

[weltschmerz]

Pick 14 & 53 for Pick 3… who says no?

The team with pick 3

 

[Wizard17]

If pick 53 isn't for Darcy

Which all Australian will we be selecting

Wouldn't mind a few players around there. Might be able to find that third ruck our list needs around that point, a Taj Murray, Sam Ainsworth, maybe Marcus Krasnadamskis based on his stupid levels of athleticism he showed at the combine.

 

[Dav1d]

I’ll be a little sad if Oskar Taylor goes at our pick after trading down but if he’s gone then it doesn’t hurt as much. Think there’s a lot of value in the second round and if we can keep our current second then I’m all for it. Expect to see some players a little too high for our first but perfectly around the mark at a second. Players like Jevan Phillipou and NHH, Thredgold would be good value in the second round but a bit of a reach at our first.

 

[Here we go dogs]

I don’t follow the draft closely but wouldn’t Pickett be a strange position for GWS to target. Seems like they pick a small forward early every year.

 

[Here we go dogs]

St kilda version of Philipou is a jet, but fk he comes across as a big a figjam as Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

25

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

 

[Mojorisin]

St kilda version of Philipou is a jet, but fk he comes across as a big a figjam as Bailey Smith

None of the family lack any confidence. Unfortunately both boys haven't had much luck with injuries.

 

[Dav1d]

Farrow saying our jumper is elite and Bontempelli is his favourite player, it hurts because I really wanted him and expect that’s why we were okay trading down a couple of picks.

 

[Mojorisin]

Farrow saying our jumper is elite and Bontempelli is his favourite player, it hurts because I really wanted him and expect that’s why we were okay trading down a couple of picks.

We are still very into him don't rule out a live play for Melbourne's pick 8 if he is on the board.
8 for 14 and 33 would not suprise me at all.

 

[JohnnySteel]

We are still very into him don't rule out a live play for Melbourne's pick 8 if he is on the board.
8 for 14 and 33 would not suprise me at all.

Farrow fits us really nicely. Would be very happy to trade up to nab him.

Also could be why we grabbed another pick, If it’s not needed for Darcy.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

We are still very into him don't rule out a live play for Melbourne's pick 8 if he is on the board.
8 for 14 and 33 would not suprise me at all.

Surely 33 is nowhere near enough for an upgrade to from 14 to 8 though?

 

[stefoid]

Surely 33 is nowhere near enough for an upgrade to from 14 to 8 though?

according to the afl draft 'points' its 1400. and pick 8 is 1440.

why melbourne would do that I dont know, unless they had their hearts set on a player very likely to go in the late teens and want the free hit of 33. shrugs

 

[threenewpadlocks]

according to the afl draft 'points' its 1400. and pick 8 is 1440.

why melbourne would do that I dont know, unless they had their hearts set on a player very likely to go in the late teens and want the free hit of 33. shrugs

Draft points, even the updated system, is not the exchange rates that clubs operate in when trading picks for the actual live players though. It still values picks beyond around pick 20s far to greatly, especially in a weaker draft where you'd have rather taken a pick 40 (or whatever) in a different draft to a pick 33 in this draft.

For instance, Essendon live traded their pick 31 to swap around their pick 11 to 10. While Essendon obviously overpaid to specifically target Caddy, presumably Geelong had rejected a trade that was the equivalent of Essendon already paying more than 33 to move up from 14 to 8. That's a fair bit closer.

Personally and in neutral setting I arguably wouldn't accept say pick 22 + 14 for pick 8, let alone pick 33.