Academy Rorts - The 2025 Draft Thread

[Miller1971]

Lions will take Prindable at 44 if he is still there, but as I understand it - they don't expect him to last to that spot.

Collingwood at 39 or Geelong at 40 are likely to be his landing spot

Amazing that Annable wasn't bid on in the top 3. Not the Lions fault, but crazy that teams would let the reigning back to back Premiers get a player of his standing at 6, when everyone knew they would match any bid that came.

 

[rye]

Lions will take Prindable at 44 if he is still there, but as I understand it - they don't expect him to last to that spot.

Collingwood at 39 or Geelong at 40 are likely to be his landing spot

Amazing that Annable wasn't bid on in the top 3. Not the Lions fault, but crazy that teams would let the reigning back to back Premiers get a player of his standing at 6, when everyone knew they would match any bid that came.

i was pleasantly surprised that dean attracted a bid before him but dont see how on exposed form as juniors that any club would consider dean a better prospect.

 

[briztoon]

Lions will take Prindable at 44 if he is still there, but as I understand it - they don't expect him to last to that spot.

Collingwood at 39 or Geelong at 40 are likely to be his landing spot

Amazing that Annable wasn't bid on in the top 3. Not the Lions fault, but crazy that teams would let the reigning back to back Premiers get a player of his standing at 6, when everyone knew they would match any bid that came.

I believe there were other “factors” at play. Namely teams wanting the highlight Gold Coast’s “concessions” and the perceived advantages they are getting through their academy, and secondly wiping out Carlton’s draft hand for the foreseeable future.

 

[Sproj]

Lions will take Prindable at 44 if he is still there, but as I understand it - they don't expect him to last to that spot.

Collingwood at 39 or Geelong at 40 are likely to be his landing spot

Amazing that Annable wasn't bid on in the top 3. Not the Lions fault, but crazy that teams would let the reigning back to back Premiers get a player of his standing at 6, when everyone knew they would match any bid that came.

If Collingwood or Geelong bid that close our actual pick, surely we match.

 

[Miller1971]

i was pleasantly surprised that dean attracted a bid before him but dont see how on exposed form as juniors that any club would consider dean a better prospect.

On exposed form over a 3 year period at CTL level, Annabel was the most accomplished player in the draft.

Sliding to 6 is a huge win.

Essendon getting Sharp at 13 is an even bigger win, I have him in the best 5 in this draft and he will play Round 1 next year and probably start on ball and have 20+

 

[Sproj]

On exposed form over a 3 year period at CTL level, Annabel was the most accomplished player in the draft.

Sliding to 6 is a huge win.

Essendon getting Sharp at 13 is an even bigger win, I have him in the best 5 in this draft and he will play Round 1 next year and probably start on ball and have 20+

What did you make of Essendon skipping their academy dude?

 

[Perrip]

If Collingwood or Geelong bid that close our actual pick, surely we match.

We're no certainty to. Fox Footy Late Mail

Greeves and Onley are understood to be in the mix for Collingwood, which could also bid on Lions academy midfielder Ty Prindable. A Prindable national draft bid is seen as unlikely to be matched by Brisbane, which is also looking at open pool players like Onley, Oudshoorn-Bennier and Whan, despite having three solid academy prospects in Prindable, 204cm ruck-forward Isaac Waller and defender Harrison Bridge.

 

[knaf]

We're no certainty to. Fox Footy Late Mail

Probably ensuring our first selection next year is not eroded.

 

[Tom14]

Probably ensuring our first selection next year is not eroded.

Deficit only applies to the same round of pick - so from this point on any deficit would apply to our second next year.

But also surely we'd easily be able to find the points to match if we really wanted to.

 

[Perrip]

But also surely we'd easily be able to find the points to match if we really wanted to.

We definitely could. But I suspect the club has other draftees they rank higher than Prindable

 

[Maverick]

We definitely could. But I suspect the club has other draftees they rank higher than Prindable

Possibly Lions might be wanting to target a positional need too.

I wouldn’t be disappointed if we used one of our picks on Matt LeRay from SA.
Strong bodied 188cm wing/half back could help cover loss of Starc and Froggy coming towards the end. LeRay reads the flight of the ball exceptionally well and very clean. A very good cricketer too.

 

[Maverick]

Matt LeRay highlights:

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Possibly Lions might be wanting to target a positional need too.

I wouldn’t be disappointed if we used one of our picks on Matt LeRay from SA.
Strong bodied 188cm wing/half back could help cover loss of Starc and Froggy coming towards the end. LeRay reads the flight of the ball exceptionally well and very clean. A very good cricketer too.

Yeah he's definitely my #1 candidate for a Starce replacement in this draft. Unsure if the club thinks the same though. Maybe they think Harrison Bridge can take that role.

 

[Dalions]

If we have someone in mind, I wonder if 42 and 43 would be enough to entice Carlton for pick 28?
They are looking at trading back and that would give them another 96 points I believe.
We might need to throw in next years 3rd to make it more enticing for them?

 

[Nathan Barley]

The Hawks trade backs were about teams knowing exactly at those picks who were available and willing to trade up for a specific player.

Because we had to trade before the Annable bid, no team at that stage, knew who would be available and weren’t willing to gamble on a trade without knowing who would be available.

But we knew teams are keen on those late first rounders to pick up sliders so should've been able to get more for that pick

 

[Elixuh]

We're no certainty to. Fox Footy Late Mail

Good to see us growing the game

 

[blueiris]

Lions will take Prindable at 44 if he is still there, but as I understand it - they don't expect him to last to that spot.

Collingwood at 39 or Geelong at 40 are likely to be his landing spot

Amazing that Annable wasn't bid on in the top 3. Not the Lions fault, but crazy that teams would let the reigning back to back Premiers get a player of his standing at 6, when everyone knew they would match any bid that came.

We already have the better version on our list with Lohmann re Prindelbel

 

[dlanod]

We definitely could. But I suspect the club has other draftees they rank higher than Prindable

There's definitely some top 20 talent (per club ranking) available now.

Though will have to wait and see if any slide to our picks and which picks disappear from bids.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Are all thsoe academy kids worthy of the early picks or is it mostly just VFL clubs flexing a bit.
Also how on earth did the Suns have all the point for 4 first round academy kids ?

 

[blueiris]

Are all thsoe academy kids worthy of the early picks or is it mostly just VFL clubs flexing a bit.
Also how on earth did the Suns have all the point for 4 first round academy kids ?

They are the AFL pet they charge rules just for them but seriously there has to be some deficit for next year

 

[Perrip]

Are all thsoe academy kids worthy of the early picks or is it mostly just VFL clubs flexing a bit.

Definitely worth the early picks.

Also how on earth did the Suns have all the point for 4 first round academy kids ?

Herald Sun:

A relatively weak 2026 Suns Academy class meant the club was happy to go into points deficit this year to match bids on Murray and Addinsall after using the bulk of their tally to get Uwland and Patterson.
The Suns will still have roughly 300 points to play with on Thursday – worth roughly pick 35 after the 10 per cent academy discount – before hitting the 1167 points deficit limit.

 

[dlanod]

Also how on earth did the Suns have all the point for 4 first round academy kids ?

They split pick 4 back in 2023 for a bunch of later picks, some of which rolled over into 2024...

Lukosius left last year, which combined with some of those roll over picks let GC roll move over into this year...

This year they had Flanders leave, and even with the Petracca trade they still had multiple high first round picks (which then got traded out last night for more points to cover) and even got back second round picks to match the later two kids.

Basically it's been a multiyear effort and multiple exits.

 

[LongLion]

The complaints will come thick and fast again about academies being unfair however by now producing local talent on a regular basis by both the Lion & suns we are helping to stock the overall talent pool. It's a pity that Sydney seem to have dropped their production line down a bit and GWS isn't stronger in who they are bringing forward.

 

[mpal6]

Wonder if West Coast missed a trick in the bidding process.

If they really wanted to squeeze one of Murray or Addinsall, may be they could've put more pressure on Gold Coast by bidding Patterson at 3.

 

[Viceregal]

Wonder if West Coast missed a trick in the bidding process.

If they really wanted to squeeze one of Murray or Addinsall, may be they could've put more pressure on Gold Coast by bidding Patterson at 3.

Possibly more concerned with hobbling a more peer competition in Carlton than an above their weight Suns ... or maybe chose who they wanted just in case tge bid was not matched...?