Preview Draft Pick #18

[Sin City]

He is gunna hate that sin the sun shines in WA we dont need spray ons like you anemic Vics, seriously this kid can play.

Hey I'm no Mexican

It's even colder down here on the mainland mate

 

[Kramer1]

If Darling slides we should definately take the risk. He has the most potential, of anyone outside the top 10 to become a superstar.

Failed the humility beep test dreadfully though...

Which AFL player do you feel you resemble and why?
People say Jonathan Brown with his strength, courage and leadership. Lance Franklin as well because of his agility, speed and athleticism.

 

[Kramer1]

Had a significant re-think the last half hour and now believe we should use our first two picks on Horlin Smith, assuming that double barrel surnames need two picks.

Which AFL team do you support and how did you come to barrack for them?
I support the Carlton Football Club and started barracking for them as I have always admired their legends of the past.

 

[Shambolic]

Whoever we take Im sure someone with contacts (good or fake) will come on and say

"All 3 of our first picks were in Wayne's top 25".

And we'll all pat ourselves on the back.

 

[OZBomb]

Whoever we take Im sure someone with contacts (good or fake) will come on and say

"All 3 of our first picks were in Wayne's top 25".

And we'll all pat ourselves on the back.

I'll go one better than that... I guarentee whoever we pick at 18, we'll have considered them a certainty to be selected in the top 10

 

[TheHeatleyStand]

The AFL have introduced new rules to slow the game down... but the kids are getting faster and faster.
Watson will be struggling to keep up with the pace of where the game is heading to.

Id prefer a mobile fast tall anyday.

Im struggling to see where Watson will fit in.

FB too slow.
CHB same...
Doubt he would be much good in the forward line.

Bringing him in for some kind of special teams position is not what u want with your first pick.(3rd man across in defence or kick outs)

 

[PumpyChowdown]

The AFL have introduced new rules to slow the game down... but the kids are getting faster and faster.
Watson will be struggling to keep up with the pace of where the game is heading to.

Id prefer a mobile fast tall anyday.

Im struggling to see where Watson will fit in.

FB too slow.
CHB same...
Doubt he would be much good in the forward line.

Bringing him in for some kind of special teams position is not what u want with your first pick.(3rd man across in defence or kick outs)

I'm still to grasp how this "Watson is slow" theory came about.

His running right foot jump (73cm) was better than his left (57cm) and his 2.98 second sprint time suggested he's not as sluggish as some have thought. Watson did a level 12.11 beep test, 11.14 minutes for the three-kilometre time trial and his repeat sprint time of 24.78 seconds (for six 30-metre sprints) put him inside the top 40 players tested.

What are your strengths as a footballer?

Long kicks. Closing speed. Aggressive spoiling. Breaking the lines. Overhead marks. Encourage teammates. Leadership on field

It seems like the BF hive-mind has spoken and everyone just jumps on the bandwagon. Whilst not express, he's certainly not as sluggish as everyone is suggesting. Probably doesn't have a big motor at the moment, but once he trims down a bit and gets a couple of pre-seasons under his belt I'm sure this will improve markedly.

 

[Salaryman]

Watson probably tested quicker than most of the mobile talls you are referring too....and is carrying some puppy fat and high skin-folds, so you'd think there was room for imrpovement there too? Bower can play on the more mobile talls.

You said the same about Hurley, yet he goes alright doesn't he?

 

[TheHeatleyStand]

Watson probably tested quicker than most of the mobile talls you are referring too....and is carrying some puppy fat and high skin-folds, so you'd think there was room for imrpovement there too? Bower can play on the more mobile talls.

You said the same about Hurley, yet he goes alright doesn't he?

Livo tested fastest in his draft camp of all the talls.
The problem is when youre playing is when it counts.
Watson has been turned inside out by good young kids... often...

And has struggled on lead up forwards.

When we talk AFL .. were talking about the elite of the elite.... he will have to play against.

Testing draft camp can be overated.....

The proof is how he went against the good forwards in his age group...
outran.. outbodied... and already a man boy....

He might turn out ok... but he has too many qustion marks ...
Then project how he will go against the good forwards in the AFL

 

[Claypigeon]

Long kicks. Closing speed. Aggressive spoiling. Breaking the lines. Overhead marks. Encourage teammates. Leadership on field

Closing speed is a huge attribute for a KPD while not only trait required its what separates the good from the best more often than not. .. I do like the sounds of Watson but I wont be upset with whoever we pick up, you have to give the draftees a year or two and at least a handful of games to decide how good the pick and development was. ..

 

[RiCHii]

Watson probably tested quicker than most of the mobile talls you are referring too....and is carrying some puppy fat and high skin-folds, so you'd think there was room for imrpovement there too? Bower can play on the more mobile talls.

You said the same about Hurley, yet he goes alright doesn't he?

Was just about to post the same thing. Everyone said that Hurley would never be a good player, he was slow bla bla. Wouldn't mind him at Carlton right about now

 

[Salaryman]

Livo tested fastest in his draft camp of all the talls.
The problem is when youre playing is when it counts.
Watson has been turned inside out by good young kids... often...

And has struggled on lead up forwards.

When we talk AFL .. were talking about the elite of the elite.... he will have to play against.

Testing draft camp can be overated.....

The proof is how he went against the good forwards in his age group...
outran.. outbodied... and already a man boy....

He might turn out ok... but he has too many qustion marks ...
Then project how he will go against the good forwards in the AFL

I see re you are coming from and have had the same niggles, but I saw enough of him to think it aint a big issue with a little bit of work on his physique and conditioning. Not for the other things he brings to the table.

When was Watson soundly beaten or had a bag kicked on him this year?

You know I go to games and don't hang off draft camp results...so if you are going to use your fancy framing techniques for your arguments, save it for others thanks.

 

[krayfesh]

This will be an interesting scenario for us if all three were available, the way some are suggesting.
Which way would we go?

Would we take the forward and hope for the unlikely situation that Watson or McCarthy are still available come our second selection?

This draft may be very tricky for our Recruiters to navigate through.
I assume that they've covered all the permutations, but in the event of a curve ball coming our way, it may just test the resolve of Hughes and co.

Looking forward to this one

The more I look at it, the less likely it is that more than one of the three will be available at our first pick.

McCarthy, Darling and Watson in that order, is my preference. Except for Smedts of course.

I stand by best available at #18 and then going for a Mitchell/Litherland with our second rounders.

 

[Stamos]

Assuming that a mid was listed on WH's sheet at 12 and Watson was rated at 13, which way will we go?

Just have the feeling that best available may be given a gap of 3-5 players this time around and unless an Atley falls our way, we are getting a tall at 18

I agree with this. 'Best available' means a mid would want to be a fair bit better than a tall come pick 18, not a difference of one spot on WH's ranking list.

 

[Stamos]

Please excuse this silly question, but just how much influenece is The Caoch afforded in steering their recruiter into a selection.

Is Wayne Hughes' sheet exclusively his, or can the recruiters be trumped by the coach, if push came to shove?

The coach would have little influence. They might say they want a certain type of player (particularly further down the draft), then the recruiters pick the player.

 

[NAUGHT5]

I'd like to think Hughes would have close to full control.

Ratts would be consulted and have more influence over line ball decisions but surely it's WH's call.

 

[blues4flag]

Not sure about that. The coach might ask after a certain type of player (e.g. a big bodied CHB), Hughes would come back with a few names and give his opinion on who best fits the bill. If it's merely best available, you'd think it would be Hughes' call.

 

[Jeremias]

It would ultimately be WH's call, no doubt.

Ratten would have a role in it, but a minor one. He would have had meetings with WH and the recruiting staff along the way - indicating the type of player that may best suit the overall plan of attack - but he'd leave the final call to Hughes.

When it comes down to it, Ratten will have seen very little of the draft prospects. WH, on the other hand, has been following them for years - so it would make absolute sense that Ratts has very little impact on the final outcome.

When was Watson soundly beaten or had a bag kicked on him this year?

You know I go to games and don't hang off draft camp results...so if you are going to use your fancy framing techniques for your arguments, save it for others thanks.

I'm just going to take a wild stab and say that your question isn't going to be directly answered for quite some time, if ever.

Or, an answer will come that deflects away from the issue, doesn't answer your query, and somehow attempts to indicate that you are the one that has no idea what you are on about.

Sometimes you can just tell......!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't you??????????

 

[Stamos]

Emma Quayle Live Blog on now on The Age website.

 

[Salaryman]

it is the answer a question with a question technique....

cos you can't lose an argument that way, can you??


The game may be going towards fast and agile, yet there is still a match-up for Watson in most sides stocks of young forwards. We already have quite a few options as faster, versatile hybrid defenders and they aren't as hard to find (e.g. Litherland, Monaco, McInnes in this draft alone), and none of them have a canon for a leg

 

[krayfesh]

Assuming that a mid was listed on WH's sheet at 12 and Watson was rated at 13, which way will we go?

Just have the feeling that best available may be given a gap of 3-5 players this time around and unless an Atley falls our way, we are getting a tall at 18

Agreed. If there was a tiny difference in the rankings, I can see us just taking Watson/Other KPD like we said we needed.

If a Smedts/Caddy/Darling/Atley eek were to slide then I would jump at that chance and hopefully so would WH.

Close in the rankings, not a Lucas vs Talia type ranking, btw.

 

[Mister Carlton]

Greg Bentley for pick 18!

 

[Claypigeon]

Not to harp on it too much. .. but what would we give to have that Crows compensation pick in our pocket. .. Just seems that a decent player will still be there in the mid 20s but then it will drop away by 34. ..

 

[Stamos]

I just recall watching a draft some years back where Sheedy looked as though he was calling the shots through the mini-meets prior to a selection.

Never really gave it much thought, but considering "The Recruiter" is there to do a job, it would take a pretty ballsy (or desperate) coach to intervene.

The coach might have influence at the end of the draft, especially for a mature player (see Clarkson with Dew), but I doubt they would have much sway on the higher draft picks (maybe Malthouse/Luke Ball the exception).

 

[LemmingMaster]

When was Watson soundly beaten or had a bag kicked on him this year?

May ran rings around Watson, if you believe TGR and his hate for loose checking defenders.