Draft night - what should we look for?

[estibador]

But not to watch it on TV like you did? That's different huh?

Everyone knows going out and experiencing stuff in the real world is sad. Cool people just watch stuff on tv.

 

[Angus McFuttock]

Good write up BPG and thanks again for the ticket.
I thought the event ran smoothly and didn't drag on at all. Sounds like we were better off being there live than watching FOX coverage and listening to Lynch etc dribble on while players were being selected. I could think of sadder things to do, like live in Adelaide but that's just me.
On the whole it was interesting to see all clubs representatives in the same place and the draftees who there is so much more coverage of throughout the media and should be quite familiar to genuine footy fans.
Neil Ross seemed like a nice bloke but we didn't really want to harass our contingent too much while they were essentially at work.

The reverse draft thing probably didn't make much of a difference. There was more doubt about which players were going to be called out at 10 and 9 given the first 8 picks were predictable.
Melbourne and Carlton caused the first surprises with Gysberts and Lucas when they were widely expected to go Black/Talia. Then there was quite a reaction (mainly of the WTF? variety) in the room when the Dogs called Howard.
We must have set our minds on Fyfe at 20 and not deviated when Black/Carlisle fell through.
I guess Houghton was the only BF favourite that we picked so it's hard to judge our picks when we choose guys who have not been discussed widely on our forum. We seemed to pick players who are very good runners with good disposal as probably most clubs go for these days.
I'm not 100% sure but it seemed like we would have gone with Troy Taylor/Fitzpatrick at 52 as this was the only pick we took a lot of time over.

One of the funnier moments was how quickly Collingwood called out Luke Ball's name! Emma Quayle and a few others were right about clubs like Melb/Bris/Ess trying to con each other into using a high pick on him.
I had to laugh at Saturday's HUN rating Collingwood's draft an A (Ball + 2 late picks), the same as Melbourne's (4 picks inside top 20 plus a couple of promising talls in Gawn and Fitzpatrick later) - i mean, how exactly does that work?

I know you didn't seem that happy with our picks on the night BPG - we were picturing the Freo Board going into meltdown when we ignored Black for Fyfe - but any further thoughts on our six new players?
On reflection and with a bit more information on Fyfe/Roberton/Crichton/Bollenhagen I'm happy with our selections, especially Roberton/Crichton. I think having Fyfe/Mayne/Balla/Walters up forward in future is going to be a good mix.

Of the guys not selected I'd be happy with Grimes/Panos and/or Hutchings in the rookie draft.

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Good write up BPG and thanks again for the ticket.
I thought the event ran smoothly and didn't drag on at all. Sounds like we were better off being there live than watching FOX coverage and listening to Lynch etc dribble on while players were being selected. I could think of sadder things to do, like live in Adelaide but that's just me.
On the whole it was interesting to see all clubs representatives in the same place and the draftees who there is so much more coverage of throughout the media and should be quite familiar to genuine footy fans.
Neil Ross seemed like a nice bloke but we didn't really want to harass our contingent too much while they were essentially at work.

The reverse draft thing probably didn't make much of a difference. There was more doubt about which players were going to be called out at 10 and 9 given the first 8 picks were predictable.

Hey Angus.

Good points - but something tells me the reverse order thing would have been very interesting if they had gone reverse from say pick 18, and also if it had been a deeper draft pool. One assumes that the novelty reverse order announcement thing will be dropped for the next few years, given that GC and then GWS (what is it with the sudden prominence of the letter G in AFL??) will dominate the first picks of each of the next few drafts.

Melbourne and Carlton caused the first surprises with Gysberts and Lucas when they were widely expected to go Black/Talia. Then there was quite a reaction (mainly of the WTF? variety) in the room when the Dogs called Howard.
We must have set our minds on Fyfe at 20 and not deviated when Black/Carlisle fell through.
I guess Houghton was the only BF favourite that we picked so it's hard to judge our picks when we choose guys who have not been discussed widely on our forum. We seemed to pick players who are very good runners with good disposal as probably most clubs go for these days.
I'm not 100% sure but it seemed like we would have gone with Troy Taylor/Fitzpatrick at 52 as this was the only pick we took a lot of time over.

Yes, as I said I found the quick call of Fyfe a little surprising, given that both Black and Carlisle had slipped a bit. I also wouldn't have been unhappy with Bastinac or Koby Stevens at 20 - but there you go, that's why I came last in Moo's draft predictor...

One of the funnier moments was how quickly Collingwood called out Luke Ball's name! Emma Quayle and a few others were right about clubs like Melb/Bris/Ess trying to con each other into using a high pick on him.

I had to laugh at Saturday's HUN rating Collingwood's draft an A (Ball + 2 late picks), the same as Melbourne's (4 picks inside top 20 plus a couple of promising talls in Gawn and Fitzpatrick later) - i mean, how exactly does that work?

They read out Ball's name so fast it was almost a single syllable - with no intake of breath from when they started reading out the player number all the way through to the last l of his surname. Something tells me they were keen to get him...

And to rate the Pies draft as equal to the Demons (even allowing for the Demons extra picks) is really odd - personally I felt Adelaide and North had the best drafts, and the Pies were up there with the Power as being the worst.

Oh, and one other shout-out I forgot in my first posts - as a Canberra based AFL follower, very well done to young Mr Jason Tutt of the Ainslie Football Club - even though I support the arch rivals Eastlake, Ainslie deserve much credit for successfully developing the first AFL pick form the ACT for 10 years. He was picked higher than Hird, so let's hope he does the ACT proud. A couple of promising youngsters coming through for next year too, which I'll try to steer towards Freo...

I know you didn't seem that happy with our picks on the night BPG - we were picturing the Freo Board going into meltdown when we ignored Black for Fyfe - but any further thoughts on our six new players?
On reflection and with a bit more information on Fyfe/Roberton/Crichton/Bollenhagen I'm happy with our selections, especially Roberton/Crichton. I think having Fyfe/Mayne/Balla/Walters up forward in future is going to be a good mix.

Yeah, I was a bit disappointed in the Fyfe and Bollenhagen picks, and surprised we didn't pick Crichton up later - but that shows my bias towards a few of the key players I had focused on before the draft. I still wonder about Black, Bastinac and Koby Stevens as alternatives at 20, but I'm now of the view that our fellas have been picked so lets all get on board and back them in 110 puh-cent!!

And I must say I am disappointed this year's draft thread only went to 13 pages on draft day - compared to 20 pages last year. And nothing like the Ballantyne/Suban/Ruffles meltdowns of last year. Don't tell me people are learning to back our recruiters???

In three or four years, I think the story of this draft for us will be in how 36 and 48-52 have performed. More potential there than I first thought, but so much water to go under the bridge that it is hard to tell how we'll go...

But every one of our picks is an upgrade on Murphy, Thornton and Foster - just think, if we'd culled Murphs and Flash we could have had Panos and Hartigan on our list now too...

Of the guys not selected I'd be happy with Grimes/Panos and/or Hutchings in the rookie draft.

Agreed on Panos - there is so much evenness in what is left for the Rookie draft that it is hard to know where to focus - might even be a re-draft of Pratt or Foster, just 'cause they have AFL experience (not that I agree with that approach, but I can see where it is coming from)...

Also, for those that were wondering - each team was officially given 2 minutes per pick, plus an extra 30 seconds if they requested it. More than 30 picks needed the extra time, and by my reckoning at least six picks (especially Brisbane and Richmond) went for over 4 minutes.

In between rounds there was much conversation between the different team coaching tables - except for Port, who kind of ignored everybody else.

And the length (about 1 hour 40 minutes) was perfect - any longer and it would have been boring. Also - weirdly IMHO - Demmi insisted that the last act of the night was a round of applause to Geelong for winning the 2009 flag, as "this is the first occasion we've been together since the grand final". Wonder if this will become a ritual at all future drafts?

 

[Bradesmaen]

But not to watch it on TV like you did? That's different huh? You care enough to disagree with everyone and tell us how great the TV coverage was but someone who goes along, enjoys a night out as a cultural/sporting spectacle and takes the time to do a great write up for the rest of us is sad?

Dude you are an Internet sociopath

Taking the occasional glance at my TV while doing some work and eating my dinner, to watch the draft is hardly sad. I'm not the only one that thinks this either. Look at the thread where people were saying they got tickets.

 

[Angus McFuttock]

I'd doubt we'de re-rookie Pratt given that he hasn't been training with us and, like you, I'm very much against picking up Foster again.
There seem to be good tall prospects still available so Panos/Grimes/Dare/Hartigan etc should be options. Personally I'm a fan of Hutchings (in a BF, 5-minute YouTube clip kind of way) and can see some merit in having a young clearance specialist on our rookie list.

 

[dominguez]

Thanks for the insight BPG.

Have you mentioned how you got a ticket to the draft?

 

[Chops_a_must]

Just as the draft announcements started, a chap in a suit climbed into the same row (we had to shift up to let him sit next to the Freo team). At first I thought it was Steve Reilly from the Australian, but then worked out it was Steve Rosich. Man he has gone grey since his photos on the FFC website were taken!! He had the top 10 picks written down on a form, and when we got to pick 6 and he had 6/6 right, I made the mistake of saying “You must be happy, you’ve got 100% so far!” To which he said “Yep, that’s 'cause I was there when they did the picks.” (Yes, I am a dufus). Kind of destroyed whatever credibility I have as a draft follower…

Why didn't you call out "Bingo"? And what would you have won if you did?

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Thanks for the insight BPG.

Have you mentioned how you got a ticket to the draft?

I was sad. Basically they ran a comp for the saddest sad of sadness in all of Australia, and they found me, and I won. 'cause I'm so sad. I'm just a sad sad sadly saddening sad sad sadly sad, sad sadness sadder. And of course no one but the saddest sadder in all of Australia would even think of going to the draft, so when they said "who's sad??" I just put my hand straight up. And when they said, "No, we mean who's really sad. We mean really really sad!!", I kept my hand up, and sang 57 verses of Nick Cave. In falsetto soprano. With my farts as accompanying percussion on the up notes.



Seriously, in the space of about 45 minutes on the Monday before the draft, I got five different calls offering me tickets - one from the (gorgeously lovely) Caroline at afl.com; one from five aa (even though I can't recall entering their comp); one from the NSW/ACTL AFL, and at least two different calls from blokes I know who are involved in the Calder Cannons and Bendigo Pioneers. And when I got back on the Friday morning I had 4 or 5 e-mails from people I'd never met asking if I was interested in going too.

All of which tells me that the AFL f***ed up the ticket allocations big time. Sad really, 'cause something tells me that if I'd posted on the Freo board in October that I had 4 tickets, we might have been able to raise some money for charity and also get some WA supporters over for the event. Next year (wherever it's held) I'll happily sponsor a comp to give away 4 flights and draft tickets from Perth, so long as we can book the flights a month or two in advance.

As it was my flight from Canberra to Melbourne and return was almost 300% more expensive than normal, just because they only gave us 72 hours notice.

Anyway, guess I'm just sad enough to want to go to a sad sadly sad event. So that's why the picked me. Sad, really.

Why didn't you call out "Bingo"? And what would you have won if you did?

I was tempted to yell out "MORABBBBBITO" just as Andy Demmi started tread out the intro to the Freo pick four. But I didn't want to get Rosich in trouble so I stayed quiet.

Mind you, after Richmond took 4:30 to do nothing at pick 67 I did half jokingly call out "pick me!!". Would be interesting to see what they'd have done if they did look up and select me...

I'd doubt we'de re-rookie Pratt given that he hasn't been training with us and, like you, I'm very much against picking up Foster again.
There seem to be good tall prospects still available so Panos/Grimes/Dare/Hartigan etc should be options. Personally I'm a fan of Hutchings (in a BF, 5-minute YouTube clip kind of way) and can see some merit in having a young clearance specialist on our rookie list.

Good calls - still makes me wonder how we could cut Pratt and keep Murphy, Thornton and Solly though. We won't take Dare (much as I like him) unless we miss out on McFree. Panos and Hartigan would do me just nicely, or Ah Chee.

 

[dominguez]

The reverse order thingy was Foxtel's idea to build suspense wasn't it?

Their coverage has been lambasted so if it was their idea I think it won't happen again next year.

I'd doubt we'de re-rookie Pratt given that he hasn't been training with us and, like you, I'm very much against picking up Foster again.

It'll be interesting to see how Pratt and Foster go in the WAFL next season, I'm a Pratt fan but don't think he'll stand out enough to warrant re-drafting.

 

[Bradesmaen]

The reverse order thingy was Foxtel's idea to build suspense wasn't it?

Their coverage has been lambasted so if it was their idea I think it won't happen again next year.







It'll be interesting to see how Pratt and Foster go in the WAFL next season, I'm a Pratt fan but don't think he'll stand out enough to warrant re-drafting.

No, it was the AFL's idea to build suspense. Since when has the AFL ever come up with a good idea in the last 5 years?

 

[dominguez]

I reckon 2001 was the last time (when there was plenty of debate over which Luke would go at one) that the first pick wasn't locked in atleast a couple of weeks before the draft so it was pointless.

 

[Bradesmaen]

I reckon 2001 was the last time (when there was plenty of debate over which Luke would go at one) that the first pick wasn't locked in atleast a couple of weeks before the draft so it was pointless.

The only intrigue was who is number 1 and 2, This year had it been 2 diff clubs with pick 1 and 2 it would have been a lot different imo.

 

[Moo]

There is interest, thats why there was TV coverage, but to actually want to go to the event is just sad.

In your opinion.

Why can't you just say 'whatever floats your boat but it's not for me' ...you come across as rather judgemental.

Why are we here on an internet forum chatting about Freo ....to a lot of people that is sad but I like doing it so to them I say get knotted.

I'd love to go to the draft ...anywhere when you can catch up with people involved in the process and just be where an event that is shaping our club - I'd go.

I said in another thread I was told we were keen on Fyfe and took him at 20 as the Eagles looked like targetting him.

The last 2 picks - well Mike Sheehan had them both ranked in his top 30 - so that might just have been a case of having to take them as best player avaialble.

Thanks for the write up BPG

 

[Dockernut]

Note - I've made a cocktail called 'The Masten'…

Sounds shit.