2025 Draft Thread

[ThomasR]

Watching the Coates League GF today there looks like there will be plenty of small forward options available next year.

cooled my jets on Fincher a bit after today. solid game with 22 & a goal but think there are 6 players on that field that should be drafted ahead of him (Robey, Greeves, X Taylor, O Taylor, Dovaston, Wright) and line ball with Dalton. hopefully he makes it past pick 36 and we get him for free, otherwise the decision to match might not be straightforward. looked much better in his VFL game which bodes well at least

 

[SaintsofSteel]

cooled my jets on Fincher a bit after today. solid game with 22 & a goal but think there are 6 players on that field that should be drafted ahead of him (Robey, Greeves, X Taylor, O Taylor, Dovaston, Wright) and line ball with Dalton. hopefully he makes it past pick 36 and we get him for free, otherwise the decision to match might not be straightforward. looked much better in his VFL game which bodes well at least

Yeah Fincher has a bit of work to do as a midfielder but he is still worthy of being taken as an NGA. The games Ive watched him play as a small defender he was a lot more composed.

I dont know who won BOG for the game but Xavier Taylor would have been my pick. He and Rory Wright are the players who looks like their game would translate well to the AFL.

 

[ScrappyDo]

Reid looks incredible and it looks like they got an absolute gun. All we need Toby to do is be a good player. He doesn't need to be compared. A lot of others missed out on him too. I would imagine Travaglia is seen as a replacement for Sinclair Whan he retires. He looks a very good attacking HBF and still has midfield potential.

I just don't think it matters. RTB is building the squad full of guys that can run. Windy, Naz, Pou Darcy, Hugo, Trav and Box are all top line runners and hard at the ball, Darcy being a WIP.
Reid simply didn't come into consideration for us.

 

[ScrappyDo]

cooled my jets on Fincher a bit after today. solid game with 22 & a goal but think there are 6 players on that field that should be drafted ahead of him (Robey, Greeves, X Taylor, O Taylor, Dovaston, Wright) and line ball with Dalton. hopefully he makes it past pick 36 and we get him for free, otherwise the decision to match might not be straightforward. looked much better in his VFL game which bodes well at least

Fincher is pretty much around the #40 mark with all the draft watchers which roughly matches your observations. He's a soldier not a game changer.

 

[SaintsofSteel]

I asked the question about possible near 200cm key defenders in the main Draft board and got the followng responses.

I'm very strong on Blake Thredgold too, would love the Giants to select him with one of our picks in the 30s. Not near 200 cm though, but probably the best pure tall defender outside of Harry Dean this year. Little bit hidden away due to his injury. Not that I have any claim to good judgement in junior footballers, but the reports and limited vision I've seen on him looks good.

Sorry, not tracking Ainsworth. Do you mean Sam Ainsworth? He's nearly 200 cm but isn't he a forward-ruck? You're thinking about putting him down the back to try, similar to your comment about making Schubert a CHB?

I think with the direction the game is heading with ruck rules you're going to want a KPF and a KPD that can ruck and then ideally a Luke Jackson type that can ruck but also win clearances at CBAs.

Yes Sam Ainsworth, I’ve seen him play CHB at younger levels and play it well, also had a run there at the champs. Was AA ruck, he’s athletic and IMO would make a very good developing KPD.

Schubert is a bit different. Exceptional back shoulder player, reads the flight so well, very athletic and again can ruck. Will make a better KPD than KPF at AFL level IMO. If WCE drafted him I’m sure we’d be playing him in defence.

So we need to keep an eye on the following SA kids -

1. Aidan Schubert 198cm key forward/defender who can ruck, named AA Team.
2. Sam Ainsworth 198cm key defender/ruckman named AA Team.
3. Blake Thredgold 194cm key defender won BOG in SANFL Colts GF.

 

[SaintsofSteel]

A recent Phamtom Draft from Haggas on main board -

 

[L_W_P]

I wonder how Dalrymple and our recruiting team will feel when Murphy Reid wins this years Rising Star Award?

IMO not recruiting him was a very questionable start by Simon, as a much as try I cant see what others see in Travaglia. I am not convinced he is ever going to have the physique to have an impact as a AFL midfielder and his kicking is well below average for his draft class. In an era when kicking skills are the premium of skill recruiters should be looking for.

Agree that Reid looked good but it's always a "What if?" with kids in different environments.

Maybe he plays that well for us, maybe he doesn't. Maybe he's reasonable enough that Hall doesn't get the same chance the thrive.

Trav was picked because he can play all three zones, he's a leader and he can run all day.

That's the exact sort of player Ross loves.

Would not be shocked if he's talked about as a captaincy option in a few years.

 

[TheJackal]

cooled my jets on Fincher a bit after today. solid game with 22 & a goal but think there are 6 players on that field that should be drafted ahead of him (Robey, Greeves, X Taylor, O Taylor, Dovaston, Wright) and line ball with Dalton. hopefully he makes it past pick 36 and we get him for free, otherwise the decision to match might not be straightforward. looked much better in his VFL game which bodes well at least

Just have to look at Tom Atkins to see what career we might get out of Fincher. He doesn't get any love but when the game was on the line it was always Danger, Smith and Atkins in the middle.

 

[bergholt]

A recent Phamtom Draft from Haggas on main board -

Phantom Drafts are so weird this far out, especially this year, because the picks will change so much.

 

[SaintsofSteel]

Phantom Drafts are so weird this far out, especially this year, because the picks will change so much.

True but it is still gives you an idea as to where kids might go and gives us a handle of what the club might do.

Obviously if we trade in Flanders and/or McKenzie we will unlikely still have our 1st pick, but you would hope the club try to trade back into the draft and grab a player before Fincher is bid on. Thats why above I was looking at key positional talls...

 

[SaintsofSteel]

Aidan Schubert wins 2025 Powerade U18 MVP - SANFL

sanfl.com.au

 

[GYoung]

 

[GYoung]

Interesting Ranking for September

8. Sullivan Robey
9. Sam Grlj
13. Josh Lindsay
14. Ollie Greeves
19. Jevan Phillipou
25. Archie Ludowyke
33. Kye Fincher (St Kilda NGA)

AFL Draft: The biggest draft bolter in a decade emerges

Over the past decade we've seen stars such as Clayton Oliver soar into the top echelon late. Those bolters pale in comparison to the wicked rise Sullivan Robey has produced across the Talent League finals. Here's Jasper Chellappah's top 40 for September.

www.espn.com.au

 

[noobermensch]

What a moment to have your best performance of the season! Xavier Taylor stepped up to the occasion, thriving under the pressure of the big stage to dominate defensively for Eastern. His team were sliced open at times by the Dragons ball movement and run, but Taylor was the defensive wall all game, disrupting moves and intercepting the ball, then running hard the other way to take on the game in buccaneering style. It's been a strong close to the season for Xavier, and this performance will have done his top 10 chances no harm.

 

[MOLTEN GANGLANDS]

What a moment to have your best performance of the season! Xavier Taylor stepped up to the occasion, thriving under the pressure of the big stage to dominate defensively for Eastern. His team were sliced open at times by the Dragons ball movement and run, but Taylor was the defensive wall all game, disrupting moves and intercepting the ball, then running hard the other way to take on the game in buccaneering style. It's been a strong close to the season for Xavier, and this performance will have done his top 10 chances no harm.

just a thought, when I watch your uploads I often search the player's height after, would be convenient to have that in the video, save us searching through some local footy club's bio etc.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

View attachment 2432773

Gee there are a lot of ..not quite tall enough, key's in amongst that. Not that they won't end up well, its just we seem to have a pretty good collection of 2nd and 3rd talls already.

 

[Sarcoidevo]

If we do keep our 1st rounder then just nail a mid ..... simples

 

[Tasmanian saint]

If we do keep our 1st rounder then just nail a mid ..... simples

Just take the best player available regardless of position

 

[ScrappyDo]

If we do keep our 1st rounder then just nail a Pou ..... simples

Just take the best Pou available regardless of position

Wise words. I have to agree.

 

[hangdog]

Rude. Eric the Eel was the best in his field!

In fairness, he's the only swimmer from the event I remember!

 

[TheJackal]

If Pou and HH are gone and weve managed to get a pick in the late 20s before a bid comes in, I'd still be considering Ludowyke. Feels like a good risk reward pick to develop.

 

[jumperfan]

Probably don't need him with Ryan coming in but I'd love to grab Dovaston. Looks like he could be a real Nick Watson-type who comes in straight away and plays like a 200 gamer.

 

[mad-saint-guy]

I wonder how Dalrymple and our recruiting team will feel when Murphy Reid wins this years Rising Star Award?

IMO not recruiting him was a very questionable start by Simon, as a much as try I cant see what others see in Travaglia. I am not convinced he is ever going to have the physique to have an impact as a AFL midfielder and his kicking is well below average for his draft class. In an era when kicking skills are the premium of skill recruiters should be looking for.

They went with a versatile runner over a natural footballer and it looks like a very poor decision at this point. I'm hoping there's more to Travaglia that I'm not seeing yet. I don't see a half back/winger with dodgy loopy kicks that hang in the air being successful in modern AFL footy.

 

[ARCHIE66]

I'm really liking Talor Byrne. He's probably still using a booster seat but he can footy. He's not let the fact that his parents didn't finish his name or his lack of height stop him. Got vibes of Zorko and Caleb Daniel.

Saints fan too

 

[OxSaint]

They went with a versatile runner over a natural footballer and it looks like a very poor decision at this point. I'm hoping there's more to Travaglia that I'm not seeing yet. I don't see a half back/winger with dodgy loopy kicks that hang in the air being successful in modern AFL footy.

Pre draft I made the call that he has to make it as a midfielder or he was going to struggled to find a spot at afl level because of his kicking. I thought he was more speculative than taking the Viking.