2025 Draft Thread

[St Neil]

It's an interesting read. I've also just learned WCE traded away our F2 we gave for Liam Ryan to Hawthorn to move 1 spot up the order...

Jamie Cripps seems to be in the gun for taking up a list spot, square up for screwing us over with that trade years ago

It would appear their footy department wouldn’t move Cripps or other older players on to the rookie list, limiting their available primary list spots.

A simple error. But it left them exposed after pick 34, hoping that Banfield would slip through the net to the rookie draft.

Imagine if the lad becomes a star for us. Eagles supporters will be haunted.

Like Swans supporters are after they let Dunkley slip through their fingers.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Interesting outcome. Feeling mixed feelings towards the picks.

Positive: Happy to get Fincher, and get him cheap. Performed very well at VFL level and has very useful traits. Quick, versatile, wins the footy and has a bit of mongrel. Seems to go for distance rather than precision when kicking on the run but disposal seems fine when he has more time. Good hands in tight as well.

Neutral: Banfield seems to be the style of big, slow inside mid that Lyon has said that the game is moving on from...but he can win the footy, take a grab and kick a goal. Clearly has a tank as well. Here's hoping he's a late developer due to being such a big unit at a young age. Don't mind backing Dalrymple here since this zone of the draft is his specialty. Just a bit surprising that we didn't go for Ludowyke here.

Negative: I just don't understand why we've chosen to use a list spot on Byrnes again. He has already had 6 years on the list and has shown that he isn't good enough. People harp on about him providing depth, but we don't need a small wingman who can't kick as depth. We have so many better options to play that role in front of him. I would have much preferred to take a crack at a slider and I think we screwed up by committing to Byrnes pre-draft.

Banfield hasn't been mentioned as an inside mid.?
He's a winger with a big tank
Ran 6.07 in the 2klm time trial, which is elite.
His 192cm height allows him to play as a third tall also, is a good overhead mark.

 

[karnaby]

I had trouble trying to work out the Byrnes scenario but I have come to the conclusion that he must have agreed to it as a way to potentially help the club out at the draft if necessary.

As we'd already upgraded Hammer we only had to take 2 picks in the draft, but with our picks starting at #50 we couldn't guarantee that there would be two players available that we wanted to pick. Byrnes became an insurance policy if that eventuated. As we did manage to use our first 2 picks I believe that re-drafting Ronnie, was the club honouring an agreement that they had made with him.

Further to that, and to my mind, regardless of the fact that he'd nominated a wage (presumably pre-agreed with the club) I believe that as a draftee that he will be guaranteed a 2 year contract.

Whether he gets to play many games doesn't worry me. He seems like he will fit in as a depth player and I expect that development from our young players and our injury list not getting out of hand means that he won't play a whole lot of games. That said, I think he will be a good leader for our VFL team where experience will probably be in fairly short supply.

 

[nikkig98]

I mean, Byrnes is so far back on the depth chart im not fussed either way. And bitta AFL experience in the VFL team

 

[TheJackal]

It would appear their footy department wouldn’t move Cripps or other older players on to the rookie list, limiting their available primary list spots.

A simple error. But it left them exposed after pick 34, hoping that Banfield would slip through the net to the rookie draft.

Imagine if the lad becomes a star for us. Eagles supporters will be haunted.

Like Swans supporters are after they let Dunkley slip through their fingers.

I still believe we made the same mistake last year when we didn't have a spot available for Lenny by taking Said late. I reckon we expected to grab him as a rookie also.

They need to put it down to win some lose some.

If they care badly enough they can trade Harley, Durrsma and Jobe for Box, Banfield and Lance in a few years time.

 

[mad-saint-guy]

Banfield hasn't been mentioned as an inside mid.?
He's a winger with a big tank
Ran 6.07 in the 2klm time trial, which is elite.
His 192cm height allows him to play as a third tall also, is a good overhead mark.

He played inside mid late in the season which is when he performed best, including the Colts GF.

 

[littlecreatures]

Yeah he didn’t come across well did he!

Poor bloke’s just mentally preparing himself to arriving at that god forsaken club to “g’day Xavier” on rinse and repeat

 

[maanco]

Excluding Said I thought we had another list spot rookie list spot available - maybe we are holding it for a train on player?

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

He played inside mid late in the season which is when he performed best, including the Colts GF.

If you read his intro profile àt the Saints website.
They see him as a hard running winger who can take a good overhead mark.
Seems to be more like a Blake Acres or Mason Wood type.

 

[maanco]

Interesting outcome. Feeling mixed feelings towards the picks.

Positive: Happy to get Fincher, and get him cheap. Performed very well at VFL level and has very useful traits. Quick, versatile, wins the footy and has a bit of mongrel. Seems to go for distance rather than precision when kicking on the run but disposal seems fine when he has more time. Good hands in tight as well.

Neutral: Banfield seems to be the style of big, slow inside mid that Lyon has said that the game is moving on from...but he can win the footy, take a grab and kick a goal. Clearly has a tank as well. Here's hoping he's a late developer due to being such a big unit at a young age. Don't mind backing Dalrymple here since this zone of the draft is his specialty. Just a bit surprising that we didn't go for Ludowyke here.

Negative: I just don't understand why we've chosen to use a list spot on Byrnes again. He has already had 6 years on the list and has shown that he isn't good enough. People harp on about him providing depth, but we don't need a small wingman who can't kick as depth. We have so many better options to play that role in front of him. I would have much preferred to take a crack at a slider and I think we screwed up by committing to Byrnes pre-draft.

If we had given Byrnes a 1 year contract instead without delisting him, I don't think you would be this mad?

Delisting/re-drafting Byrnes prevented us from going into deficit for Fincher.

Moving Said to the rookie list also helped with this points wise. + Opened the list spot for Fincher.

West coast could learn a lot from Saints list management team.

 

[maanco]

I had trouble trying to work out the Byrnes scenario but I have come to the conclusion that he must have agreed to it as a way to potentially help the club out at the draft if necessary.

As we'd already upgraded Hammer we only had to take 2 picks in the draft, but with our picks starting at #50 we couldn't guarantee that there would be two players available that we wanted to pick. Byrnes became an insurance policy if that eventuated. As we did manage to use our first 2 picks I believe that re-drafting Ronnie, was the club honouring an agreement that they had made with him.

Further to that, and to my mind, regardless of the fact that he'd nominated a wage (presumably pre-agreed with the club) I believe that as a draftee that he will be guaranteed a 2 year contract.

Whether he gets to play many games doesn't worry me. He seems like he will fit in as a depth player and I expect that development from our young players and our injury list not getting out of hand means that he won't play a whole lot of games. That said, I think he will be a good leader for our VFL team where experience will probably be in fairly short supply.

We probably signed Bynes on a 1 year contract for $250k + 50 k bonus for allowing us to redraft him.

Only players that have never been listed get the mandatory 2 year contract.

 

[CursingFijian]

Banfield hasn't been mentioned as an inside mid.?
He's a winger with a big tank
Ran 6.07 in the 2klm time trial, which is elite.
His 192cm height allows him to play as a third tall also, is a good overhead mark.

His agility test score at the state combine would have seen him finish top 10 at the National Combine as well, just ahead of Jev

 

[SaintLoopy]

If you read his intro profile àt the Saints website.
They see him as a hard running winger who can take a good overhead mark.
Seems to be more like a Blake Acres or Mason Wood type.

Watched him all year & he’s a winger/forward. Only mid for Claremont in the colts but did finish season off well. I’m probably biased coz he beat my team in the GF but was helped in that game by Toby Whan going down early. If you look at the U18s carnival he didn’t really feature as a mid for WA. The upside is he seemed to be getting better as the season went on so hopefully he will continue to improve.

 

[Sarcoidevo]

This is getting borderline creepy now

View attachment 2482448

Rent free

 

[Sarcoidevo]

Negative: I just don't understand why we've chosen to use a list spot on Byrnes again. He has already had 6 years on the list and has shown that he isn't good enough. People harp on about him providing depth, but we don't need a small wingman who can't kick as depth. We have so many better options to play that role in front of him. I would have much preferred to take a crack at a slider and I think we screwed up by committing to Byrnes pre-draft.

its called list management

Maybe we would prefer to keep an extra list spot open for next year's draft or for a free agent once we delist Byrnes proper at the end of next season .... rather than using it on a new draftee this year who we would have to give a 2 year contract to and won't be as good as player's in next year's draft ..... or the free agent we are looking at

That's my take

 

[Sarcoidevo]

Banfield hasn't been mentioned as an inside mid.?
He's a winger with a big tank
Ran 6.07 in the 2klm time trial, which is elite.
His 192cm height allows him to play as a third tall also, is a good overhead mark.

He was played as a winger in his under age year (2024) and in the Nat Champs for WA .... however looks like he got his chance in the midfield late in the season for Claremont Colts and seems to have taken the next step

Was also measured at 188cm last year and is now 192cm ...... and could be still growing ...... a late bloomer??

Has a solid frame to add more muscle and love that he has great endurance and can take an overhead mark .... could he morph into a Paddy Cripps beast type?

 

[snails13]

No chance he plays in the ones except for a heap of injuries and that's not being nasty just plain facts

So you think he is rubbish

 

[CaptainRisky]

So you think he is rubbish

As i said it will take a lot of injuries for him to get a game , You said rubbish not me


You tell me who's spot he takes to get a game then ?

 

[hangdog]

Genuinly the biggest dork in the afl

Dork is such an underrated word.

 

[hangdog]

Banfield hasn't been mentioned as an inside mid.?
He's a winger with a big tank
Ran 6.07 in the 2klm time trial, which is elite.
His 192cm height allows him to play as a third tall also, is a good overhead mark.

The Fox Footy coverage had the Saints 3 list needs as;
wing
tall fwd
inside mid

They put Banfield into the inside mid category once we picked him.

 

[Sully111]

There's worse depth players to have than Byrnes. As long as he's not getting many (hopefully, any) games in the 1's I'm fine with it.

 

[Joffaboy]

its called list management

Maybe we would prefer to keep an extra list spot open for next year's draft or for a free agent once we delist Byrnes proper at the end of next season .... rather than using it on a new draftee this year who we would have to give a 2 year contract to and won't be as good as player's in next year's draft ..... or the free agent we are looking at

That's my take

Sorry, that is considered, thought through and sensible.
Dont bring that type ofshitposting here please.
JUST DRAFT ANYONE EXCEPT FOR BYRNES ( EVEN IF THEY ARE USELESS LIST CLOGGERS).

 

[akaifu]

The Fox Footy coverage had the Saints 3 list needs as;
wing
tall fwd
inside mid

They put Banfield into the inside mid category once we picked him.

That’s what he was in juniors

But his attributes point towards being a long-term AFL wingman. His kicking is a bit inconsistent so idk if he makes it as a full time inside midfielder ahead of Pou

He’s the successor to Wood

 

[akaifu]

Feel like us not taking a defensive medium defender shows our faith in O’Connell/Hastie to fill the Webster void. Glad we are backing in a couple of really promising kids in a period where we are trying to go for the ultimate success

 

[BrutThough]

Brynes played 17 games last year.

I think people are overestimating our depth acting as if there are dozen of other options sitting on the list.