Analysis 2025 Draft watch

[Aphrodite]

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

Latrelle is around 25-30 for mine. Boom or bust type, plus is 20 years old

Sharp top 3 is a great call

I think the top end has become so disrespected that they are now underrated. A lot of the players in this draft have proven themselves at reserves level (Cumming, Sharp, CDT, Grlj etc), so I don’t think it’s that poor - it just doesn’t have the megastar level potential as some other drafts. But you can build teams around several players in this draft

having a Duursma as the best prospect hurts it because I think a lot of people have trust issues.
It’s also hard to rate a draft when you can’t actually access some of the best players but they are still part of the draft class. If FS and Academies (even compensation picks) didn’t exist than there would be some pretty good talent making it outside of the top 10.

 

[Bamboo Harvester]

Yeah, I see us having 2 possible strategies, and they may be entirely flexible up until a Dean bid.

1. Dean, 1st (potentially even before Dean), Ison
2. Dean, Ison, late pick + 2026

Who knows which way we'll go?

We'll no doubt have a number of contingencies in place depending on where the Dean bid comes. As Twomey says, we should have a clearer picture closer to draft nite.

The more I think about it, the more I reckon we'll end up doing a deal with Essendon on draft nite IF Dean doesn't get a bid before their first selection. They end up taking one of their targets like Robey or Sharp with their first pick which then opens up their options who they can target with a couple more first round picks.

If the Dean bid comes earlier, then we trade out. Cows become a good option with pick 16 and a future 1st - or WCE for a future 2nd and some late picks this year as another poster suggested. We then just take Dean and Ison in the ND, and sign a DFA like Derkson or Elijah or White for the final spot.

As a side note, you would imagine that most clubs would be fairly transparent with communicating with other clubs on their intentions to place a bid on an academy or father/son leading into the draft, so they can plan accordingly. I was a bit surprised watching the footage from the Carlton war room during last year's draft when Geelong and the Swans rang Austin beforehand basically asking of it was okay for them to place a bid on the Campo's. Shows a level of respect between clubs.

 

[The Return of the Paf]

We'll no doubt have a number of contingencies in place depending on where the Dean bid comes. As Twomey says, we should have a clearer picture closer to draft nite.

The more I think about it, the more I reckon we'll end up doing a deal with Essendon on draft nite IF Dean doesn't get a bid before their first selection. They end up taking one of their targets like Robey or Sharp with their first pick which then opens up their options who they can target with a couple more first round picks.

If the Dean bid comes earlier, then we trade out. Cows become a good option with pick 16 and a future 1st - or WCE for a future 2nd and some late picks this year as another poster suggested. We then just take Dean and Ison in the ND, and sign a DFA like Derkson or Elijah or White for the final spot.

As a side note, you would imagine that most clubs would be fairly transparent with communicating with other clubs on their intentions to place a bid on an academy or father/son leading into the draft, so they can plan accordingly. I was a bit surprised watching the footage from the Carlton war room during last year's draft when Geelong and the Swans rang Austin beforehand basically asking of it was okay for them to place a bid on the Campo's. Shows a level of respect between clubs.

Don't we have four list spots open?

 

[Pablito]

Best draft prospects ranked 1-50: AFL stars they play like and latest club interest intel

Why four top prospects can’t be picked; biggest bolter in 10 years — AFL Draft Top 50 Rankings

www.foxsports.com.au

Gotta be one of the worst draft articles ever published. You can see it just rips info out of draft articles from ESPN, AFL.com.au and zero hangar.

There is no new information and a lot of player analysis is wrong. Ben has just phoned this one in and potentially used chatgpt.

 

[Coona Blues]

Don't we have four list spots open?

Think most, including me, expect three picks then a likely rookie elevation giving one rookie vacancy/pick either in the rookie draft or SSP selection

 

[AT97]

Gotta be one of the worst draft articles ever published. You can see it just rips info out of draft articles from ESPN, AFL.com.au and zero hangar.

There is no new information and a lot of player analysis is wrong. Ben has just phoned this one in and potentially used chatgpt.

according to this we are interested in one player (doveston) so we are either keeping things very close to our chest or still haven’t settled on the strategy.

 

[No1Suspect]

Just take Dean and Ison. Put EH on as a train on rookie. Draft done.

 

[Matty411]

Just take Dean and Ison. Put EH on as a train on rookie. Draft done.

Boring! But also, and option if we choose to move back to 2026 with a FF deal. Not sure anyone is selling them though.

 

[teddy-hopkins]

Other clubs could offer a better deal of course.

16 plus F1 seems a good swap for you guys. I’d imagine we would ideally want something coming back like a F2 (maybe with our F3 chucked in) but since you don’t have one that makes it hard.

Tbh I’m not sure why we would want to trade up as Sharp and Cumming are almost certainly gone by that point. Unless we are massive Farrow or Phillipou fans.

Maybe we are simply floating our F2 and F3 out there to move up the order and get a better player. Pick 9 is a pretty early pick though, even in a weaker draft.

If you finish top 4 again next year a F2 is only worth 200ish points and F3 zero.

So doesn't really help with Walker next year. It would have to be F1 or it just wouldn't justify Carlton sliding that far this year. We'd be better off holding onto 9 and 11 and taking the hit from the Dean bid.

Not sure Crows go for pick 9 this year for 2 first rounders.

 

[No1Suspect]

Boring! But also, and option if we choose to move back to 2026 with a FF deal. Not sure anyone is selling them though.

I think we've had enough non boring, i think sensible is where its at now, if we went down that path id expect another 2026 pick coming in to help land Walker and a big fish

 

[The Return of the Paf]

I think we've had enough non boring, i think sensible is where its at now, if we went down that path id expect another 2026 pick coming in to help land Walker and a big fish

What's wrong with taking a late, third pick? We gather too many 'low ceiling'/low shelf-life types when we pass on so many late selections. It leaves too many chances for other clubs to get in before us.

 

[The Bighouse]

Is Mitch Marsh an option for us?
Thought I heard that H.Dean said he struggled against him this year.

 

[GT619]

Is Mitch Marsh an option for us?
Thought I heard that H.Dean said he struggled against him this year.

unsure tbh

 

[Catfish blue]

Is Mitch Marsh an option for us?
Thought I heard that H.Dean said he struggled against him this year.

Yeah Dean said he was his toughest opponent. Kicked 5 that day, 3 against Dean.

Is there a world where we can split pick 9 for 2x later first rounds and land:

Dean (pick 11)
Marsh (projected pick 17)
Doveton (projected pick 18)
Ison with whatever is remaining.

 

[Navy Blues 73]

‘Flicked the switch’: Inside father-son Blue’s shock surge… and why tricky draft bid beckons

Inside father-son Blues prospect’s top 10 surge... and how awkward bidding war could shake-up draft

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Ninja Worrier]

It's pretty nice position to be in TBH, kid can play and sounds driven and an absolute professional already.

 

[Bearded Carpenter]

‘Flicked the switch’: Inside father-son Blue’s shock surge… and why tricky draft bid beckons

Inside father-son Blues prospect’s top 10 surge... and how awkward bidding war could shake-up draft

www.foxsports.com.au

Article states he grew up idolising Jacob.
Picture he holds says favorite player Doc.
Mixed messages.
Pass.

 

[skadoosh]

Article states he grew up idolising Jacob.
Picture he holds says favorite player Doc.
Mixed messages.
Pass.

"So, he got rock-hard fit."

 

[Stamos]

Is there a world where we can split pick 9 for 2x later first rounds and land:

Dean (pick 11)
Marsh (projected pick 17)
Doveton (projected pick 18)
Ison with whatever is remaining.

No.
Well, maybe in a different universe.

 

[bradfisher14]

"So, he got rock-hard fit."

 

[Jacks Seething Rage]

Bit of Chad Powers about Dyson Sharp. He looks 34 years old.

 

[eaglevision]

If the Dean bid comes earlier, then we trade out. Cows become a good option with pick 16 and a future 1st - or WCE for a future 2nd and some late picks this year as another poster suggested. We then just take Dean and Ison in the ND, and sign a DFA like Derkson or Elijah or White for the final spot.

Interested to know the reasoning for our F2? If the two pick match comes into force it won’t be enough for Walker?

13, 34, 41 for 9 and 43 seems a good option? Crows then probably still offer 16 and points for 13 so they can take Phillipou and you can points farm.

 

[Mezzoculo]

If the club is keen to boost our hand in the 2026 draft, but no one is selling F1s, I wonder if they'd consider offering 9 or 11 to West Coast for their two F2s (adding whatever pieces are required to meet both parties' needs)?

It might not immediately help with Cody but it would give us plenty of flexibility.

 

[eaglevision]

If the club is keen to boost our hand in the 2026 draft, but no one is selling F1s, I wonder if they'd consider offering 9 or 11 to West Coast for their two F2s (adding whatever pieces are required to meet both parties' needs)?

It might not immediately with Cody but it would give us plenty of flexibility.

Good idea and normally I’d say yes but we have 2-3 NGAs/FSs next year that will attract bids in the 2R that we will need to match.

 

[Sin City]

Is Mitch Marsh an option for us?
Thought I heard that H.Dean said he struggled against him this year.

I like him.

People that don’t like Marsh are like Arks from the movie Australian Rules. “Kickin goals? Kickin goals! Yeah that’s gonna win us the bloody grand final isn’t it, Kickin goals”