AFL Player # 2: Sam Draper

[Dave]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2025
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 20, TheUnicorn

 

[BrunoV]

This kid is ready, simply must play

Agree with this and your subsequent posts.

Part of the reason it is important to give players games is so that they get a first hand idea of what needs to be improved. It's also not like Clarke is more advanced in any part of the game so the team is not taking a hit to develop him. Seems to me that's the point at which you have to give Draper a taste whether it's as the number 2 or the number 1 (I'm no longer of the view that Clarke should play as the number 1 if Bellchambers is unavailable).

The real issue now is structural. I doubt we're going to change the structure enough to play Draper unless we bring him in for Brown. It would be almost brutal to do that this week. We'll see how Brown goes in the next few weeks.

I thought yesterday was going to be that game in which Draper pulled down everything. He's getting close. If he took 5 or 6 marks yesterday 3 or 4 of them were genuinely contested clunks in a pack of players. Sometime this year he is going to pull the rest down and end up with about 10 pack marks.

Did anyone count how many clearances he had yesterday? He ran the ball out of the middle 3 times and did it a few more times around the ground.

I've never watched a young ruckman develop in the reserves so I'm slightly hesitant to say what I really think. I think we'll look back on him as being a better ruckman than Ryder, for a start, and Ryder is a very, very good player.

 

[cAsEy_18]

Reckon he might be a chance for Sydney.

Sunday afternoon against Geelong into Friday night in Sydney could be a tough turnaround for Bellchambers

 

[BrunoV]

Reckon he might be a chance for Sydney.

Sunday afternoon against Geelong into Friday night in Sydney could be a tough turnaround for Bellchambers

With Brown getting injured Bruno is getting excited.*



*Not because of Brown injury but because it's the best chance yet for Draper to get a gig.

 

[Yoda_]

With Brown getting injured Bruno is getting excited.*



*Not because of Brown injury but because it's the best chance yet for Draper to get a gig.

As cAsEy_18 mentioned, a road trip to Sydney would be a better chance for Sammy. A real test to throw him in against the best team in the comp.

 

[eth-dog]

Yeah I can see them not risking Bellcho on a 5 day break.

 

[Liberator]

Really soon I hope. Actually thought he was best on ground vs the Pies (no disrespect to McNeice).
* he's work in guts is great - the stuff after the tap I mean. I'd play him as a second ruck, really as a first ruck with TBC playing a bit more forward. We definitely need to play him at some stage this year... there'll be other teams that will give him senior games I would bet.

 

[BrunoV]

Yeah I can see them not risking Bellcho on a 5 day break.

It wont be an issue if his time on ball is halved for a few weeks

 

[donlav99]

Draps rate of improvement has been astounding. The way Woosha spoke about him in the side selection video indicates he's on the brink. Would love to see him jumping all over Stanleys head

 

[Runk]

Would be super pumped to see him get a game this week! That being said I'm going to be super pumped whenever he gets his first game.
Can't wait.

 

[VelvetSledge]

Well I guess there's always next week when we rest Bellchambers!

 

[the PILL]

My take is he's certainly ready but we are taking the work car approach instead of the new weekend sports car at the moment...

The work car is doing just fine at the moment but soon it's going to need maintenance and a service so we will be taking the new car out and learning how to drive it soon.

Bellcho is being uncannily durable this year though which is pleasing aswell.

 

[eth-dog]

I suspect the stars are aligning for him. Was rested in the second half today for workload management and could be in for Sydney.

That being said, in the half he did play his colours were somewhat lowered by Abbott who I felt was best on for the Cats.

 

[brutus76]

Play the boy.
Give the lummox glacier a couple of weeks off

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Beaten by Campbell and Abbott in two of the last three games, bit of a worry.

 

[Kakkle]

Needs to stop looking behind him at every single boundary throw in.

 

[eth-dog]

Beaten by Campbell and Abbott in two of the last three games, bit of a worry.

I wouldn't say it's a worry, those two are borderline AFL standard. Just shows he's not quite there yet.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

I wouldn't say it's a worry, those two are borderline AFL standard. Just shows he's not quite there yet.

You’re right, meant ‘worry’ as in him coming in soon. Still young and raw and definitely one for the future. Although if Tommy doesn’t pull up he’s a certainty for Sydney unless they decide on Clarke.

Daniher spending too much time in the ruck hurts us up forward with all our injuries.

 

[eth-dog]

You’re right, meant ‘worry’ as in him coming in soon. Still young and raw and definitely one for the future. Although if Tommy doesn’t pull up he’s a certainty for Sydney unless they decide on Clarke.

Daniher spending too much time in the ruck hurts us up forward with all our injuries.

I think he plays and splits time with Bellchambers up front. Don't think Clarke should play after 3 weeks out.

 

[60sbomber]

His knee could be cactus. BB reporting that a facebook poster has said it is a partial tear of the ACL (Morris of WB has a partial tear and is expected to miss half the season). Another poster with connections to Sth Adelaide said we have already spoken to their 26yo ruckman about the possibility of drafting him in the mid season draft. Given that, until now, we did not have room on the list for a pick in the MSD, the implication is that we have a LTI.

 

[Pweter]

His knee could be cactus. BB reporting that a facebook poster has said it is a partial tear of the ACL (Morris of WB has a partial tear and is expected to miss half the season). Another poster with connections to Sth Adelaide said we have already spoken to their 26yo ruckman about the possibility of drafting him in the mid season draft. Given that, until now, we did not have room on the list for a pick in the MSD, the implication is that we have a LTI.

I can't recall the last time I wanted someone to be as wrong as I am hoping you are. Not good news if true, and the timing couldn't be worse. Our talls are dropping like flies.

 

[Lore]

His knee could be cactus. BB reporting that a facebook poster has said it is a partial tear of the ACL (Morris of WB has a partial tear and is expected to miss half the season). Another poster with connections to Sth Adelaide said we have already spoken to their 26yo ruckman about the possibility of drafting him in the mid season draft. Given that, until now, we did not have room on the list for a pick in the MSD, the implication is that we have a LTI.

Mutch is an LTI, McNiece has been upgraded. Was announced a couple of weeks ago. Doesn't mean anything in particular about Draper's injury, if he even has one.

 

[60sbomber]

Mutch is an LTI, McNiece has been upgraded. Was announced a couple of weeks ago. Doesn't mean anything in particular about Draper's injury, if he even has one.

I'm confused by your logic. Mutch is an LTI and McNiece has been upgraded to replace him. Doesn't this mean that our list is still full and we have no pick in the MSD?
If so, an enquiry to Knoll (the SA ruckman) telling him we may want to draft him at the MSD, can only mean we think we have another LTI (Draper).

 

[Lore]

I'm confused by your logic. Mutch is an LTI and McNiece has been upgraded to replace him. Doesn't this mean that our list is still full and we have no pick in the MSD?
If so, an enquiry to a Knoll (the SA ruckman) telling him we may want to draft him at the MSD, can only mean we think we have another LTI (Draper).

The mid-season draft is a rookie draft. Upgrading a rookie makes a space. And I think we already had a space anyway.

We need another ruckman for depth regardless. We don't need an LTI to a ruckman to inquire about another one. Correlation does not equal causation.

What else have you heard that makes you think Draper even has an injury?

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Doesn’t look too bad, but knowing our luck I assume he’s already at the glue factory.

 

[LukeHodge15]

Looks bad

Fingers crossed .... Kid can play