Recruiting AFL Draft Watch 2026

[Yoda_]

Tigers offering us something for HVH is perfect because I think we need an Arki Butler type more.
You can get a decent ruck through FA, trade and rookie draft. You can also look for a young ruck not getting opportunities and bring him in.

Arki gives off Toby Greene vibes.

I doubt very few, if any top 5 picks are moved on anymore, my belief is that the top 5 pick must be held by the natural finisher to qualify for that compensation pick at the start of the second round

 

[ghostdog]

We have taken the best player available for 20 years and it hasn’t produced a single superstar, because a player is only as good as the role they can play in a functional system and non complementary players will never function together.

Now let’s have a look at the top 10 teams and how they’ve acquired their number one ruck: Fremantle trade, Sydney trade, hawthorn trade, Geelong 2nd round draft, Gold Coast trade, Melbourne drafted second round, Adelaide SSP, Brisbane free agent, Collingwood trade.

We must prioritise ball movement or we will continue to be dysfunctional and lose Caddy and others in two years time when Tassie comes knocking.

This is because our player development has been trash.

 

[Old Campaigner]

This is because our player development has been trash.

Also the best available according to Dodoro might be a bit different to the actual best available

 

[Zach Package]

It would be a perfectly reasonable aim for us to have 5 in the top 30-35 again but we may preference picks next year instead.

We can do nothing and probably walk away with 3 within the first 25, which is another nice haul

 

[Red Black and Blue]

This is because our player development has been trash.

Two things can be true at once, as someone who advocated against taking a lot of our first rounders over the years, we took a lot of deeply flawed players. Aversion to contact, poor disposal and poor athletic profiles has been a recurring theme.

 

[brutus76]

Dodo had Touk Miller

11

Touk Miller

Age

30

Ht

178cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.7

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

12.3

5star

M

3.7

4star

T

5.4

5star

CL

4.2

5star

D

22.0

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

10.6

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

4.8

5star

CL

4.1

5star

D

17.8

5star

K

5.8

3star

HB

12.0

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

3.0

5star

Vic Metro U18's Captain and who played Essendon and District juniors right under his big fat nose in our own backyard and took Langford and Laverde before he was picked at #29

Pick 1 you either split it to move down to say 2 or 3 and get an extra 1st or take HVH (if we don't want to get a FA ruckman or trade for an experienced ruckman) or Snell and with the extra pick i trust Rosa

 

[cobra land]

Dodo had Touk Miller Vic Metro U18's Captain and who played Essendon and District juniors right under his big fat nose in our own backyard and took Langford and Laverde before he was picked at #29

Pick 1 you either split it to move down to say 2 or 3 and get an extra 1st or take HVH (if we don't want to get a FA ruckman or trade for an experienced ruckman) or Snell and with the extra pick i trust Rosa

I know Dodo is an easy target but every other team overlooked him too, I was at those championships and FWIW I had Parish in the top 5 that year even as a bottom ager and both Langford & Laverde as top 20 picks.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

I know Dodo is an easy target but every other team overlooked him too, I was at those championships and FWIW I had Parish in the top 5 that year even as a bottom ager and both Langford & Laverde as top 20 picks.

Both Langford and Laverde are top 20 top picks from that draft, even higher if you remove father sons and academies. Probably top 12-15. Was an exceptionally weak draft.

 

[jdstorm]

Best way to draft is maximise picks in the top 30.
You mention academy players but for us right now they look like outside top 25 (without taking any bids into account)
If the Tigers where really keen then why would you not consider trading back one spot if it got you a future second from them to seal the deal.
You mentioned pick one gives you a unique ability to pick a certain player. Well yes it does but history also say pick one is often not simply the best player and I am not just talking about us.
If HVH dominates the championships and looks a class above them you pick him. If someone else steps up and there is not a lot in it then you consider what trading back looks like.

I think there absolutely are circumstances where you consider it.

just looking at the list, the amount of players likely outgoing (Merrett, Ridley, McKay ect) and how the draft is shaking out I’d be very reticent to go SF over Ruck given the impact of the new rules

 

[ant555]

I think there absolutely are circumstances where you consider it.

just looking at the list, the amount of players likely outgoing (Merrett, Ridley, McKay ect) and how the draft is shaking out I’d be very reticent to go SF over Ruck given the impact of the new rules

Given the gaps in our list a fast small forward / midfielder to go with Kako still fits the bill.

I think a guy like Williams also moves the needle for us.

We can go in many directions.
I do not think the rules have changed so much that it is to the point you have to have a super star ruck.

Anyway there are a lot of under 18 games to play out before it comes time to put your flag in the ground.

We could also easily fluke a few wins anyway.

 

[Westlo]

I doubt very few, if any top 5 picks are moved on anymore, my belief is that the top 5 pick must be held by the natural finisher to qualify for that compensation pick at the start of the second round

Yep that's how I understand it as well.

If bottom 5 is Essendon, Tigers, WC, Port & Carlton and we nominate Cochran @ #1 the Blues will get a compo pick.

But the moment their Pick 5, now Pick 6 is used to match Richmond's Cody Walker bid they will lose their compo pick because they no longer have access to their original bottom 5 pick.

Why would it work that way for matching and yet let people trade out lol.

There is no trading back for us unless you want pick 19 to **** off into oblivion.

Tigers will just call our bluff on HVH anyway like we did to them with Robey last year.

Like would why Tigers give up Pick 2, Pick 20 (second you would ask to swap) and Pick 21 (compo bid they lose) to move up to Pick 1.

They could probably use their 27 first and move up and take Herbert if they desperately needed a ruck.

 

[Yoda_]

Yep that's how I understand it as well.

If bottom 5 is Essendon, Tigers, WC, Port & Carlton and we nominate Cochran @ #1 the Blues will get a compo pick.

But the moment their Pick 5, now Pick 6 is used to match Richmond's Cody Walker bid they will lose their compo pick because they no longer have access to their original bottom 5 pick.

Why would it work that way for matching and yet let people trade out lol.

There is no trading back for us unless you want pick 19 to **** off into oblivion.

Tigers will just call our bluff on HVH anyway like we did to them with Robey last year.

Like would why Tigers give up Pick 2, Pick 20 (second you would ask to swap) and Pick 21 (compo bid they lose) to move up to Pick 1.

They could probably use their 27 first and move up and take Herbert if they desperately needed a ruck.

I believe that whoever has a natural top 5 selection will be pushed back. Unless it is absorbed by a bid then the compensation pick is not applied as they do not hold that top 5 pick

 

[Old Campaigner]

Given the gaps in our list a fast small forward / midfielder to go with Kako still fits the bill.

I think a guy like Williams also moves the needle for us.

We can go in many directions.
I do not think the rules have changed so much that it is to the point you have to have a super star ruck.

Anyway there are a lot of under 18 games to play out before it comes time to put your flag in the ground.

We could also easily fluke a few wins anyway.

Bryan is making a strong case for drafting HVH

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Bryan is making a strong case for drafting HVH

He’s smashing the hit outs and we are winning clearances 24 to 11. What do you think HVH is going to do? We could win every clearance and still lose by 40 because we suck on transition.

 

[noobermensch]

Harris was again effective in the second warm up game for SA although significantly less influential than in game 1. For most of the first half Harris' opponent stuck to the goal square, seemingly a strategy to keep Harris out of the play and reduce his influence and marking dominance inside D50. In the second half Harris started to get more proactive, impacting aerially and disrupting NSW's attacking forays. Harris will be one to keep an eye when the champs kick off in a couple of weeks, a strong carnival could see him push up inside the top 20.

 

[andleanback]

Both Langford and Laverde are top 20 top picks from that draft, even higher if you remove father sons and academies. Probably top 12-15. Was an exceptionally weak draft.

The issue is he picked 2 of the same sort of player. 2 medium forwards who dodo thought could maybe be big body midfielders in time. Yes maybe grab 1, but maybe grab that hard running midfielder in your own backyard who oozes leadership, with the other pick. Just classic dodo not being able to build a list.

 

[noobermensch]

Darcy Szerszyn entered this season as a highly regarded and versatile defensive stopper but has missed the first half of the year through injury. He played his first game of the season on the weekend, and while he clearly has a lot of rust to knock off, he showed the athleticism, aerial impact and competitiveness that could see him push up into first round contention if he can get a solid run at it.

 

[Yoda_]

So Clancy Snell is 22 just 4 weeks ago and Zero Hangar has him at 5 as of yesterday,

is he really going that well or is it happy-go-lucky in todays flavour of the month?

 

[eDPS]

So Clancy Snell is 22 just 4 weeks ago and Zero Hangar has him at 5 as of yesterday,

is he really going that well or is it happy-go-lucky in todays flavour of the month?

I have him at 7, genuine top 10 player

 

[faible]

The issue is he picked 2 of the same sort of player. 2 medium forwards who dodo thought could maybe be big body midfielders in time. Yes maybe grab 1, but maybe grab that hard running midfielder in your own backyard who oozes leadership, with the other pick. Just classic dodo not being able to build a list.

Pretty wild reading back Laverde's draft profile against the role he's ended up in. Injuries really cooked him.

Draft Profile Thread 'Jayden Laverde'

Jul 30, 2014

Thought I may as well get this going with my write-up for Jayden Laverde from the BF phantom draft thread as well as a few other bits and pieces. He's a really intriguing prospect who, realistically, could go anywhere from pick 5 to pick 20ish, depending on how high a club sees his ceiling being.

Jayden Laverde
Height: 189cm
Weight: 82kg
Position: Utility

Strengths: The biggest thing with Jayden is that he's truly versatile - short of the ruck, he can play anywhere on the ground to a high level. Laverde is a brilliant kick off both sides of the body, pulling off excellent...

• Dannnnnnnnnn
• Replies: 40
• Forum: Draft Hub with Phantom Drafts

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[noobermensch]

Watkins returned to Talent League play after an extended break and picked right up where he left off with an impressive performance against Bendigo. Watkins has pace and power, is clean at ground level and regularly hits the scoreboard, his two breakaway running goals a real highlight in this game. Watkins has missed out on the initial Vic Metro champs squad, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can string together a sequence of strong form to earn a late call up.

 

[sup3rfish]

The issue is he picked 2 of the same sort of player. 2 medium forwards who dodo thought could maybe be big body midfielders in time. Yes maybe grab 1, but maybe grab that hard running midfielder in your own backyard who oozes leadership, with the other pick. Just classic dodo not being able to build a list.

to be fair we had a lot of midfield options around that time.

 

[noobermensch]

Cody Templeton continues to produce solid performances for the Power without ever really tearing a game apart. In this game he demonstrated the traits that have won him many admirers, a combination of toughness and bravery with moments of class. He cracked in hard to win contested ground ball, presented strongly on the lead and finished off with three majors.