Draft Review Draft Rumours 2025

[briztoon]

Early on I was pro split pick 2 if we got a very good offer.

Now Id be ok with using it on any of CDT, Sharp or Robey.

Chances are we make two bids and pick 2 becomes pick 5.

The Math is strong with this one.

 

[txbyhull]

Just my personal opinion, but I see CDT as the biggest boom or bust prospect in this years draft, and I believe the percentages are weighted in favour as a bust.

He's a KPP who is a poor ruck, poor overhead mark, and is lauded for his ground ball game, but his skills aren't anywhere close to what Tim English's were when he was drafted. He's "athletic", but not a good leaper in a contest.

He hasn't been a dominant junior ruck, in a poor ruck class. So exactly how useful will CDT be?

He's not going to be the number 1 ruck in a team for at least 6 years, so which team drafts him, is going to have to play him as a forward for much of his early career, where his supposed ground ball game won't be as impactful.

For me, he's a shorter, poor mans Tim English, and not remotely close to a young Luke Jackson.

Yeah mate, icymi he hasn't been talked about as a pure ruck pretty much ever, and hasn't been talked about as a primary ruck back up forward by anyone worth their salt for a while. He'll do 30% rucking at absolute most throughout his career imo, given how insanely difficult of a match up he is athletically for all but the 1% of AFL KPD.

Idk why you have put athletic in quotation marks as if he isn't elite in the 2km and 20m, and a top 15 in both leaps. Can't speak to his agility testing but someone else would be able to comment.

 

[Keystone agony]

Whilst giving up a bit though. Not sure the trade up is really that much of a positive.

Pick 27 + 30 were redundant with just the 5 open list spots and 2 decent academy guys

Always going to depend who we get at 9 and who we likely wouldve taken at 23 (Maybe Dov, Schubert, MMarsh, H.Barker all gone or not interested)

I agree its not crazy awesome or anything

I always said to my board if were trading all 3 we should be getting one of the blues picks

 

[GWS Goose]

Personally I would be happy with any combination of Cumming/Sharp/Robey/Taylor. I don't see any point in selling the farm to trade up. Maybe Dees do but I don't think Essendon will. Robey's exposed form is too limited to take the risk.

Agree

 

[briztoon]

Yeah mate, icymi he hasn't been talked about as a pure ruck pretty much ever, and hasn't been talked about as a primary ruck back up forward by anyone worth their salt for a while. He'll do 30% rucking at absolute most throughout his career imo, given how insanely difficult of a match up he is athletically for all but the 1% of AFL KPD.

Then what type of forward is he?

He's not Jezza Cameron. He's not Buddy Franklin. Or a Daniher type.

Idk why you have put athletic in quotation marks as if he isn't elite in the 2km and 20m, and a top 15 in both leaps. Can't speak to his agility testing but someone else would be able to comment.

Because he doesn't have the leap or extension of the King twins. Even with the new ruck rules, he's not going to be a dominant leaper in a ruck contest.

So what is he? Where does he fit?

 

[Keystone agony]

CDT picked as a KPF for me

Will be the chopout ruck no doubt

Waterman, Shanahan and CDT for the next 5 years. Mayb be able to have a 4th tall type with Watermans run/agility and 23rd man spot if they deserve it (A.Reid)

 

[txbyhull]

CDT picked as a KPF for me

Will be the chopout ruck no doubt

Waterman, Shanahan and CDT for the next 5 years. Mayb be able to have a 4th tall type with Watermans run/agility and 23rd man spot if they deserve it (A.Reid)

A tall forward line of Waterman, Shanahan, and Reid / CDT rotating has some absolutely disgusting levels of mobility for having 2 2m+ players

 

[txbyhull]

Then what type of forward is he?

He's not Jezza Cameron. He's not Buddy Franklin. Or a Daniher type.

You’ve just compared a junior ruck who’s played about half a season including some VFL stuff as a forward, to 2 generational forwards and a flag winning #1 KPF.

Because he doesn't have the leap or extension of the King twins. Even with the new ruck rules, he's not going to be a dominant leaper in a ruck contest.

So what is he? Where does he fit?

He doesn’t need to be a “dominant” leaper in the ruck if he can dominate his match up around the ground. Which he has all the skills to be able to do.

I can understand why you wouldn’t want to look at it this way, but the kid is highly likely to end up a solid B to A in almost every single facet of being of a footballer, while also being 201cm at 18 (with scope to grow given he’s done so 2cm this year).

The only thing stopping him from coming in and being an impossible match up as a forward from day 1 in the AFL is his contested marking which improved throughout the season. At 201 with that speed, tank and ground level skill you won’t be able to put a gorilla key back on him that can match him for height and reach, while you can’t put a Ginbey type hybrid third tall on him that can match the pace without giving up 10+ cm.

Don’t pretend like he’s not got a multitude of traits man

 

[Keystone agony]

A tall forward line of Waterman, Shanahan, and Reid / CDT rotating has some absolutely disgusting levels of mobility for having 2 2m+ players

Yeh didnt work for Brisbane with Daniher and Hipwood

Or Sydney with Mclean and Amartey the year before

Shanahan is also 195

 

[RanaNaved]

Can't see CDT being a bust at all, too talented, too athletically gifted and too driven/competitive to fail

 

[Keystone agony]

Think Eagles be happy if the target for North is Schubert

Think eagles are happy to get whoevers left at of Dov, O.Taylor, Lindsay, Grlj at 13 (17)

 

[RanaNaved]

Yeh didnt work for Brisbane with Daniher and Hipwood

Or Sydney with Mclean and Amartey the year before

Didn't Daniher and Hipwood win a flag together?

Don't even the mention the Sydney duo, the gulf in talent between them and the Jobe/CDT combo is big

 

[Elite Pete]

Think Eagles be happy if the target for North is Schubert

Think eagles are happy to get whoevers left at of Dov, O.Taylor, Lindsay, Grlj at 13 (17)

It’s weird we really haven’t been linked strongly (Cal) to anyone in that draft range at this stage besides if Sharp unlikely fell to 13. While Giants, Dons even the Cats had a lot of links.

Will be interesting to see what direction we go. NHH was linked but one of the random draft intel articles.

 

[RanaNaved]

It’s weird we really haven’t been linked strongly (Cal) to anyone in that draft range at this stage besides if Sharp unlikely fell to 13.

Will be interesting to see what direction we go. NHH was linked but one of the random draft intel articles.

We're trading it

 

[Elite Pete]

We're trading it

Yeah maybe and I wouldnt hate it as I rate Evans and Banfield and would love both on our list and that might now be out of our hands as Williams looks a lock imo.

If we got the right picks but the trade rumour was for pick 9 which looks off the table now unless it’s some sort of 3 way trade that’s happening but even that seems iffy atm.

 

[briztoon]

You’ve just compared a junior ruck who’s played about half a season including some VFL stuff as a forward, to 2 generational forwards and a flag winning #1 KPF.

I mean, you're spending pick 2/3 on him. What do you believe the fan competition wide expectation for him is going to be?

He doesn’t need to be a “dominant” leaper in the ruck if he can dominate his match up around the ground. Which he has all the skills to be able to do.

I can understand why you wouldn’t want to look at it this way, but the kid is highly likely to end up a solid B to A in almost every single facet of being of a footballer, while also being 201cm at 18 (with scope to grow given he’s done so 2cm this year).

The only thing stopping him from coming in and being an impossible match up as a forward from day 1 in the AFL is his contested marking which improved throughout the season. At 201 with that speed, tank and ground level skill you won’t be able to put a gorilla key back on him that can match him for height and reach, while you can’t put a Ginbey type hybrid third tall on him that can match the pace without giving up 10+ cm.

Don’t pretend like he’s not got a multitude of traits man

"My" concern is his traits aren't suited to the position/role of a key forward.

It's great if he can play up the ground, but teams don't put their main key defenders on tall forwards who roam up the flanks. They're happy he's up there, providing a target two kicks from goal, because he's not providing a target inside, where they really have to worry about him.

And then you are losing half the good things about having a 200cm+ key forward.

Basically with everything you've described, minus any rucking, he's Hipwood.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

I mean, you're spending pick 2/3 on him. What do you believe the fan competition wide expectation for him is going to be?

"My" concern is his traits aren't suited to the position/role of a key forward.

It's great if he can play up the ground, but teams don't put their main key defenders on tall forwards who roam up the flanks. They're happy he's up there, providing a target two kicks from goal, because he's not providing a target inside, where they really have to worry about him.

And then you are losing half the good things about having a 200cm+ key forward.

Basically with everything you've described, minus any rucking, he's Hipwood.

Literally the greatest forward in our lives roamed up the flanks in Lance Franklin?

His role is more or less the same role Luke Jackson plays for Fremantle. Its very clear as day. The conjecture behind it is weird

 

[briztoon]

Literally the greatest forward in our lives roamed up the flanks in Lance Franklin?

And Sydney would clear out the forward 50 for Franklin to run back in to.

His role is more or less the same role Luke Jackson plays for Fremantle. Its very clear as day. The conjecture behind it is weird

As I've already mentioned, CDT isn't close to the player Jackson was as a junior. Jackson was the dominant ruck in his draft year, on top of being a good contested mark, a very good leaper and his mobility for a 199cm player.

The only thing CDT has in common with Jackson, is his mobility.

 

[Munnez]

The loophole that closed was trading back in with the same team. Sydney traded out with WC and back in with WC. The trades have to appear to be completely separate transactions.

Not impossible but wouldn't be easy to arrange that with 3rd party to get involved

 

[briztoon]

Yeh didnt work for Brisbane with Daniher and Hipwood.

Daniher was a very good mark.

Hipwood not so much.

Or Sydney with Mclean and Amartey the year before.

If Amartey is CDT's ceiling, WC are in trouble.

Shanahan is also 195

 

[VinegarStrokes]

His

And Sydney would clear out the forward 50 for Franklin to run back in to.



As I've already mentioned, CDT isn't close to the player Jackson was as a junior. Jackson was the dominant ruck in his draft year, on top of being a good contested mark, a very good leaper and his mobility for a 199cm player.

The only thing CDT has in common with Jackson, is his mobility.

I tend to agree with you mostly. His attributes scream key defender for me. Tall and rangy with great closing speed. Apparently not a great set shot but a good field kick so running and kicking out of the backline. Ground ball skills also required for talls in Def these days. Can then also mix up roles to ruck and roam, basically a better Blicavs 2.0

 

[amazingjoshy]

I mean, you're spending pick 2/3 on him.

Not totally sure its as certain as this but we'll see soon

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

And Sydney would clear out the forward 50 for Franklin to run back in to.



As I've already mentioned, CDT isn't close to the player Jackson was as a junior. Jackson was the dominant ruck in his draft year, on top of being a good contested mark, a very good leaper and his mobility for a 199cm player.

The only thing CDT has in common with Jackson, is his mobility.

Jacksons mobility is his entire trait. I dont think Fremantle play him for his ruck craft here... Its his mobility that is primarily his impact. If it was his ruck craft that was so impactful he wouldnt be his own teams 2nd choice ruck.

 

[briztoon]

Not totally sure its as certain as this but we'll see soon

I'd love for WC to go Robey with pick 2. Or find a trade back to get Sharp and another high pick.

 

[Sarcoidevo]

Just can't trust Duursma not to turn out like his brothers

If I had pick 1 I would be using it on Robey who looks to be a game changer