Review 2025 National Draft Thread | Dovaston #16 / Thredgold #26 / Mikunda #48

[The Dingrel]

Vic Metro too good for W.A, another scrappy game but some good chains from Vic Metro, Greeves best on ground, other players that I was impressed with, Vic Metro: Lachy Dovaston with 2.3 including running into an open goal from twenty meters out in the last minute of play to miss it somehow, Aaron Sharkie was everywhere at times, Xavier Taylor was okay in defence, Max Kondogiannis in his unnatural position on the backline played well, Cooper Duff Tytler was just okay, played better in the ruck, was held goal less when on the forward line and is going to be a slow burn.

For Western Australia: Fred Rodriguez was okay without being outstanding with 23 disposals, Sam Swadling & Adam Sweid were okay on a blustery day.
Wes Walley with just the 5 disposals, kicked 0.2, was well held throughout the day. Archie Ludowyke with 4 disposals for the match. This years AFL national draft is going to be a real head scratcher for recruiters on where they prioritise certain players & draft rankings will no doubt show vast differences in opinion between now and November. OUR CURRENT PICKS OF 20, 21, 39 and 57 may or may not change between now and November but I feel with so much uncertainty on this years draft class, our picks are very much in the sweet spot.

Are you saying Wes Walley looked lost?

 

[ferball]

Are you saying Wes Walley looked lost?

He seems to have gone missing.

 

[The Dingrel]

He seems to have gone missing.

 

[Onihr]

He has zero intensity mate. Like Zane, I think he just cruises along with his god given talent. Being even skinnier than Zane I reckon he’ll be a very very slow burn.

Thanks for the clarification fanatic.

On our Dursma, I think at the time we could target a ‘cream on the cake’ type player, or roll the dice on a player with a little risk but more upside (given the style of other high draft picks coming in around that time). But there is still a long road ahead on Xavier’s slow burn. I didn’t think he was right for us at the time, but I have been happy to back him in.

More broadly on this type of player though (skilled, not as strong in terms of smarts/game awareness and also weaker in terms of their effort), it seems now more than ever that the system will spit you out before you even realise you’re missing your chance. I hope these boys open their eyes, or get some good management to guide them —> too much slow and not enough burn.

 

[The Talent Scout]

Are you saying Wes Walley looked lost?

Nowhere to be seen!

 

[The Talent Scout]

I know there have plenty of tears spilt over losing our 1st round pick to Richmond, but we have their 2nd rounder, which wont be too shabby considering the compromised top end of a supposedly weaker draft, yay or nay ?

My opinion might not be popular but its a big "yay"!

 

[chubbspeterson]

It is not though - we have spent our draft capital and with the development of Comben and Dawson a key defender is now less important than a key (or legitimate) small forward.

That is the problem with going early as we did - we haven't got the benefit of looking at another 12 months development of our existing list.

We now have Matlock - a backman who can potentially go forward - and while he has shown promise we could have used our pick 3/4 on an established key forward via a trade or chosen the best young key forward in the country.

Not sure you can put all the eggs in the key defender Comben basket with his injuries (knock on wood).

There is nobody on the market worth trading pick 3 for as an established key forward and it's unlikely they'd be queuing up to come to us just yet. There are better potential targets that come out of contract end of 2026.
There is nothing stopping us from trading 2026 or 27' R1's if somebody became available.

Fair point that we could've used pick 3 to draft SA kpf Schubert or taken a small fwd Dovaston or traded back.
I would've like to have had the option with pick 3 in our hands or had both Whitlocks drafted and the Tigers R2.

There's some chance Aidan McCartney nominates us in the 2026 draft, so perhaps we get that Schubert type in him next year and are needing more of a bigger bodied ruck/fwd.

 

[Event Horizon]

I know it’s a veerrrrrrryyyyyy limited basis to judge from, but W Dursma doesn’t smash it in the Barker video. A couple of lazy kicks / turnovers, and no intensity or real chase when in frame. I’m sure he’s highly skilled and there’s good reason he’s being discussed as being likely top 10, but those snippets were weirdly familiar and didn’t inspire confidence from these cheap seats.

A bit like his brother...

 

[Shinboner Supremacy]

A bit like his brother...

Yaz Duursma is probably the hardest working out of the 4. She isn’t naturally gifted like the rest

 

[Hazey1977]

Just start winning and the good players will come.

Agree we definitely find it hard to get them, but that's partly because we've been a basketcase for a decade. How did we get Higgins? And going back, how did we get Colbert? Grant? Weren't we still a unpopular club back then?

When looking back to high profile recruits coming in the past, there needs to be recognition the social landscape around football has totally changed.

Players that regard themselves as high profile want to go to the club's in the premiership window that also provide the biggest platforms for earnings/popularity outside of football through followers on social media.

I think it's foolish to think just winning will be enough to get any legitimate A grade recruits to NMFC unfortunately. Saints are in the same boat.

It'd be an interesting thought exercise to imagine how big the club could've become if our 90's onfield success was timed with the rise of the internet/social media. The big get bigger and the rest be left behind.

 

[chubbspeterson]

JayDe Varlet from Vic Country showed some glimpses as a quick small defender.
Maybe worth looking at with pick 57 (I know we prob won't use it) or a rookie pick.

 

[LB2Snake]

On the bolded, we really should’ve taken Archer May in the MSD. I like Banch, but just feel like May would’ve suited us perfectly.

Barker & LeRay are the two SA tall wingers who have plenty of upside. Barker as an athlete is pretty similar to Freijah, just a few cm shorter.

Was another WTAF moment in MSD. We have taken a small forward 2 years in a row.
May would have been awesome as he automatically comes with Dermot……be terrific to have Dermie mentoring our forwards.

 

[LB2Snake]

Two of the more damaging players in this years draft class. Barker I've spoke about before, but Farrow is a fantastic half back who has good balance between his defensive and offensive game.





Thanks to noobermensch who continues to put in a bucketload of effort to provide us all with this content!

2 absolutely perfect players for us huh. How confident do you feel when they both have the ball that they will make the correct decision

 

[LB2Snake]

186cm so slightly shorter than Max I think (190cm?). He's pretty raw, similar athletic traits just to the eye.
He hasn't got a lot of ball in the champs (average 12 disposals), but would average more (20 disposals) in the Coates League.
Ball use a bit hit and miss, but his brother can make similar mistakes to be fair.
Can play inside mid or wing from what I've seen. Very much that transition running mid/wing teams are craving imo.
I've got the feeling recruiters will be more keen on him for what he might project to be in 4-5 years.

Will drift to the Cats at pick 104 and become an absolute jet. Ya know it.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Will drift to the Cats at pick 104 and become an absolute jet. Ya know it.

I'm sure they'll be all over him if he gets to their 30's pick. I guess that's the risk with taking him as well though, he might head down the highway and join his brother.

 

[giantroo]

KNEE BLOW FOR DRAFT HOPEFUL​

DRAFT talent Harley Barker is set to miss the rest of this season after suffering a suspected ACL knee injury last week.


The South Australian, whose form had pushed him into top-20 calculations, went down with the injury in recent days. Clubs were made aware of the update this week.


Barker was coming off an impressive carnival with South Australia playing on the wing and in the forward line and was a regular goalkicker, booting two goals against the Allies, one against Vic Metro and one against Vic Country as SA clinched the under-18 title.


The 187cm Sturt product has a turn of speed and was a prospect who pushed his way up recruiters' draft boards during the championships, with clubs to take a long-term view of him come November's draft. – Callum Twomey

 

[LB2Snake]

KNEE BLOW FOR DRAFT HOPEFUL​

DRAFT talent Harley Barker is set to miss the rest of this season after suffering a suspected ACL knee injury last week.


The South Australian, whose form had pushed him into top-20 calculations, went down with the injury in recent days. Clubs were made aware of the update this week.


Barker was coming off an impressive carnival with South Australia playing on the wing and in the forward line and was a regular goalkicker, booting two goals against the Allies, one against Vic Metro and one against Vic Country as SA clinched the under-18 title.


The 187cm Sturt product has a turn of speed and was a prospect who pushed his way up recruiters' draft boards during the championships, with clubs to take a long-term view of him come November's draft. – Callum Twomey

Got Brady written all over it. He’s a super explosive looking player, reminds me of Chad Warner, but would be another we are waiting years for.

 

[chubbspeterson]

KNEE BLOW FOR DRAFT HOPEFUL​

DRAFT talent Harley Barker is set to miss the rest of this season after suffering a suspected ACL knee injury last week.


The South Australian, whose form had pushed him into top-20 calculations, went down with the injury in recent days. Clubs were made aware of the update this week.


Barker was coming off an impressive carnival with South Australia playing on the wing and in the forward line and was a regular goalkicker, booting two goals against the Allies, one against Vic Metro and one against Vic Country as SA clinched the under-18 title.


The 187cm Sturt product has a turn of speed and was a prospect who pushed his way up recruiters' draft boards during the championships, with clubs to take a long-term view of him come November's draft. – Callum Twomey

Ah that really sucks for the kid. Wonder how far that pushes him back in the order now.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Got Brady written all over it. He’s a super explosive looking player, reminds me of Chad Warner, but would be another we are waiting years for.

More than happy to take a punt if he gets to pick 39 or 57.

 

[ToxicMegaPunts]

2 absolutely perfect players for us huh. How confident do you feel when they both have the ball that they will make the correct decision

If they both have the ball then the correct decision would be for one of the two to let go of it.

 

[King Corey]

Ah that really sucks for the kid. Wonder how far that pushes him back in the order now.

As LB2Snake said it pushes him all the way back to the Brady zone.

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

When looking back to high profile recruits coming in the past, there needs to be recognition the social landscape around football has totally changed.

Players that regard themselves as high profile want to go to the club's in the premiership window that also provide the biggest platforms for earnings/popularity outside of football through followers on social media.

I think it's foolish to think just winning will be enough to get any legitimate A grade recruits to NMFC unfortunately. Saints are in the same boat.

It'd be an interesting thought exercise to imagine how big the club could've become if our 90's onfield success was timed with the rise of the internet/social media. The big get bigger and the rest be left behind.

Dog's, Dee's and maybe Saints have had success and we will be in the same boat as them.

Yes certainly alot harder for the smaller clubs but the opportunities will present if we get our act together - that is why the next 2 years is critical.

 

[Hazey1977]

Will drift to the Cats at pick 104 and become an absolute jet. Ya know it.

Or get drafted in the first round by someone else, cry about wanting to play with his brother, I mean be homesick, I mean Mum still leaves the toilet light on on whatever..... And then Getting get him for pick 106

 

[LB2Snake]

If they both have the ball then the correct decision would be for one of the two to let go of it.

 

[LB2Snake]

Or get drafted in the first round by someone else, cry about wanting to play with his brother, I mean be homesick, I mean Mum still leaves the toilet light on on whatever..... And then Getting get him for pick 106

Something will magically happen. They are probably the “best” at the system.