AFL Player # 2: Sam Draper

[Dave]

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

 

[WEEVZ]

Yeah but that was my point, we're 8 weeks away from the start of the real season, if he may be available to play in 8 weeks then it's a bit drastic to say that he won't play a game all year.

Either way, it is a massive concern that we are relying on Leunberger to be injury free for the start of the season at least. Not many other sides have more than 4 ruck men on the list though, just terribly unlucky if none are fit to play.

Agree I just don't trust Bellchambers body to hold up. We need to add another ruckman to the list during the trade/draft period this year. Leuenberger as you say is injury prone (though seemingly less so now) and is approaching 30 so probably doesn't have long left, and Bellchambers has been as injury prone as they come these last few years and hasn't played a full season in his career to date.

 

[bjisgod9]

Agree I just don't trust Bellchambers body to hold up. We need to add another ruckman to the list during the trade/draft period this year. Leuenberger as you say is injury prone (though seemingly less so now) and is approaching 30 so probably doesn't have long left, and Bellchambers has been as injury prone as they come these last few years and hasn't played a full season in his career to date.

Yep agreed, we are still thin for ruck options with McKernan only a stop-gap option and Draper a year or two away from being anywhere near afl ready. Not to mention injury history of both Belcho & Luey, hoping its not too much to ask that Luey is fit for 25 games this year.

 

[eth-dog]

Liked his work as a forward.

 

[coastalpipeline]

Would need to be a LTI to someone, we have no room to promote rookies

Can't Eades go on LTI?
Or should we wait for someone to be properly injured?

 

[BrunoV]

Struggling his way a through his first pre-season with injuries, as a 203cm rookie who does not have a long history of playing the game is not a great starting point for getting a game sooner than expected.

McKernan on the other hand looks to be making the most of his what is certainly going to be has last opportunity. If we are promoting a rookie because we need a ruck it has to be McKernan, surely. He's too short to be a good tap ruckman but he gets the craft and is enough of a presence around the ground.

The priority for Draper has to be getting as close to 20 games of footy this year as possible (while continuing his physical development). He's an exciting raw prospect but I can't say that I expect him to play AFL and there is no seemingly realistic scenario in which playing AFL is going to be a particularly good thing.

 

[Maddogm]

Can't Eades go on LTI?
Or should we wait for someone to be properly injured?

He's a rookie also so it wouldn't open up a spot

 

[coastalpipeline]

He's a rookie also so it wouldn't open up a spot

Sweet, cheers.

 

[Vindicater]

If he plays AFL this season it means we have a horrendous year of injuries.

 

[eth-dog]

If he plays AFL this season it means we have a horrendous year of injuries.

Or possibly only three injuries; just to McKernan, Leuenberger and Bellchambers.

 

[Vindicater]

Or possibly only three injuries; just to McKernan, Leuenberger and Bellchambers.

That would be horrendous.

 

[eth-dog]

That would be horrendous.

Oh I thought you meant horrendous as in 15-20 injury list.

However looking forward to seeing him in the ressies.

 

[Vindicater]

Oh I thought you meant horrendous as in 15-20 injury list.

However looking forward to seeing him in the ressies.

Sorry, I meant it as in all our rucks are injured apart from our 18 year old former soccer player" kind of horrendous.

 

[efcboy]

It's a shame he's not up and going. With Bellchambers unavailable if we wanted to give Leuey a rest during JLT then it forces McKernan into no.1 ruck. I'd prefer to see McKernan build up his confidence playing 2nd ruck and spending more time forward and roaming and only 20% time in ruck. If Draper could play ruck it would allow McKernan to keep doing what he did last Thursday.

 

[Vindicater]

I agree, JLT would have been a great time (and this game in far north america would have been the one) to give Draper a taste.

 

[Zach Package]

where for art thou?

 

[eth-dog]

where for art thou?

Think he's playing the VFL Praccy game.

 

[Vindicater]

Really hope he pans out for us. Would be great to have that athletic ruck that other teams have.

 

[Rack Watts]

Really hope he pans out for us. Would be great to have that athletic ruck that other teams have.

Paddy Rynevermind...

 

[blitzer]

I'm glad to hear that he's looking likely to start playing some VFL games. I wouldn't expect him to get near an AFL game this year (probably not even the year after). We definitely do need to do something about our ruck stocks though.

Unfortunately there really aren't that many decent rucks in the competition as a whole. Most teams even if they have a gun ruck don't have that much depth. I reckon once you get injuries to your top 2 rucks, everyone struggles and some teams barely have a person who can even really play the role. eg West Coast's stocks are as good as anyone and yet with Naitanui and Lycett out they are down to playing Giles, Vardy and Petrie. Names that do not strike fear into the opposition.

 

[Eleven 38]

Paddy Rynevermind...

* Paddy Rynevermind...

 

[Dons4days]

We really know so little about this bloke - looking forward to seeing him play some VFL this year. He's a great size.

 

[BrunoV]

Good to see that he is named in the first practice match. I reckon he is probably 40 full games from being a viable AFL selection (which is not to say that I think he will be a best 22 player as soon as 2019). It will be a slow burn but that was always kind of the point. Find a monster kid who has the raw tools to be anything and try to develop him into something special.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Apparently he was excellent. Round 1 wild card!

 

[Bombermania]

Apparently he was excellent. Round 1 wild card!

I would probably give him a run against a lower ranked side like a Carlton or Brisbane.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I would probably give him a run against a lower ranked side like a Hawthorn.