Draft Strategy

[mick4]

Anothing thing worth considering -

How would our strategy change if we went to the National Draft knowing we were going to get say, Polak with our first pick in the PSD?

Seeing Essendon picked Paddy Ryder with there first pick last year because he was rated the best player in the draft when they had already picked Laycock and Bradley with there first pick in prevous years I'm sure that they will be take the there best listed player in the draft and will take the appoarch that if he's good enough they will make there own spot in the team. Maybe if they knew that Polak was going to be there first pick in the pre-season draft it would effect there second pick

 

[Longy413]

Seeing Essendon picked Paddy Ryder with there first pick last year because he was rated the best player in the draft when they had already picked Laycock and Bradley with there first pick in prevous years I'm sure that they will be take the there best listed player in the draft and will take the appoarch that if he's good enough they will make there own spot in the team. Maybe if they knew that Polak was going to be there first pick in the pre-season draft it would effect there second pick

I think this draft is a little different.
The top 5 or so players are so strong it is very difficult to define which is the best player, everyone (as this thread proves) will have a different opinion.

It will more than likely come down to need. If you rate two players equal, you most definately go for need and if you have the first pick in this draft it could well be the case.

 

[marcuz]

Whoever we draft for the midfield he must have very clean hands and good skills which is why Gibbs fits the bill so well. As good as Stants is we cant afford to draft another similar player who is slightly deficiant in the skills area.

Thats a bloody good point ant.

We have way too many blokes that have average skill levels on our list. with the open and fast nature of today's footy we need as many blokes on our list who can spot up a target more often than not.

Whoever we pick better be bloody silk.

 

[blumfieldisback]

Anothing thing worth considering -

How would our strategy change if we went to the National Draft knowing we were going to get say, Polak with our first pick in the PSD?

you want a player the has the drug gossip surrounding him?

if it isnt true then i would agree with you on this one longy because he deifinitely has unfulfilled potential and would slot nicely into our backline. we all know that fremantle players that go to other clubs become better players aka clement, Mcphee, abraham, holland, simmonds, jeff white, peter bell even though he went back.

ity would then allow us to get gibbs and have a ready made CHB.

 

[Longy413]

If the allegations are true, he's another mishap away from being outed from the game for two years.

He's a talent, he has a lot of improvement.

It would be up to the club to talk to him and make a decision on his character as to whether or not he has the character to commit to playing AFL football.

I certainly think he'd improve our backline and at the moment, it's only an allegation. For a PSD pick, depending on what else is available, I reckon he'd be worth it.

 

[foj1]

i am not sure essendon would take the risk with Polak. I have heard some pretty ordinary things about his behaviour which doesnt include unproven drug allegations. We have also been burnt by Zantuck, Haynes and Cupido. I would like Essendon to concentrate on players who have been in the system for a couple of years and may want to come home. A few players who would be high on my list are Ryley Dunn, Matt Rosa and Michael Rischetelli. All Victorians, All Interstate and all have the potential to be good AFL players.
Dunn is hard at it and pretty quick- downside is his kicking which tends to be inconsistent at hitting targets. Matt Rosa is an excellent athlete who can rotate through midfield, decent disposals and pretty courageous. Rischetelli is a local boy with silky skills, as an u/18 I pegged him as an outside player but he has added size to his frame. it would be great to get a potential 8 year victorian player like collingwood did with obree.

 

[Longy413]

Polak is a risk, but at least he is a different case in that he would be getting away from the negative influences in his lifestyle. If he was the best footballer in the PSD on football ability, we'd be mad not to take a risk on him.

Dunn has risks of his own, can't get his body right. Good kid though. I was calling for him last year.

Rosa is getting a game in the Eagles midfield, can't see him giving that up.

Rischetelli is one I really like, but he re-signed last year didn't he? I presume that would have been for two years.

 

[whirl]

Polak's real talent is for being a wasted talent.

 

[blumfieldisback]

Polak is a risk, but at least he is a different case in that he would be getting away from the negative influences in his lifestyle. If he was the best footballer in the PSD on football ability, we'd be mad not to take a risk on him.

Dunn has risks of his own, can't get his body right. Good kid though. I was calling for him last year.

Rosa is getting a game in the Eagles midfield, can't see him giving that up.

Rischetelli is one I really like, but he re-signed last year didn't he? I presume that would have been for two years.

finally some good opinions longy, but i think you will find that rischetelli is out of contract unless the The Age misprinted it, a few weeks ago they named players that were coming out of contract and he was listed as a high target for essendon, lets hope the richard hadley curse doesnt strike. is polak coming out of contract?? dont remember seeing his name there.

i too was asking for dunn last year and the year before that, he is a murry bushranger who generally show some hardness about them, but he is meant to be very quick, i dont think we woul waste a no.1 pre season draft pick on him (quote not directed at longy)

and polak was one of few named in drugs controversy along with toby thurstans, gardiner, josh carr, the stories usually contain 3 of those 4.

i think polak is a country boy from perth and that would intrigue sheeds because he loved players like billy duckworth, i see polak in the same mould as trent croad, just waiting to mature as a footballer and as a person, croad another player let go by fremantle gee that club is a shimozzle connolly is finished, i hope harvs can turn around that club, i reckon if sheeds went there he would win them a premiership within 2 years.

 

[douggie the don]

Anybody who thinks our midfield is anything short of very poor is crazy.
We need to take drastic action. I say get 3 midfielders with our first three picks and try to fill a hole that has been in steady decline since 2002. Look what the Doggies are able to produce, the mdern game demands a big group of midfielders who can dispose of the ball well under pressure. Our Midfield has NOBODY who can consistantly hit a target (At the moment).
Gibbs gives us what we need. As Dempsey and Lovett further develop their game and if Winderlich and dyson can step up,pace won't be such an issue.

This is the most important draft the club has ever had. The stakes have never been this high and from all reports the talent pool has never been this large either. Therefore i hold the view that whoever we get with our 1st pick will be a quality player. Our second and third pick (eg. #18 + #20) becomes Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo important!!!! We can't afford to do a "2001" and pick up a Shane Harvey only to see a Dal santo go 2 picks later... Geelong picked up 8 good senior players from that draft and now we need this "superdraft" to run deep for us.

 

[DaSawx]

Some good points but I think we also have some holes in defense we need to address. McPhee and Bradley haven't looked totally confident back their lately and one or both could help out in midfield at times or permantly. Lovett-Murray has made great strides this year but I rate him in our 19-22 range who can give us good depth. Blooding Andrew Lee would be a good start but I think we need a little more help back there also

 

[Longy413]

i think you will find that rischetelli is out of contract unless the The Age misprinted it, a few weeks ago they named players that were coming out of contract and he was listed as a high target for essendon, lets hope the richard hadley curse doesnt strike. is polak coming out of contract?? dont remember seeing his name there.

I know Rischetelli was on that list, I just seemed to remember him being out of contract at the end of last year and made a presumption that they would have signed him to two years. But I might have got that one wrong.

Polak was on that list.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2006/06/21/1150845244067.html

 

[blumfieldisback]

well if rischetelli is on the list he mustn't have signed a two year contract maye it was like Mcveigh and he only signed 1.

but i agree with Dawsax and yourself and we need to address our backline, so if he is fit, hungry and motivated enough we should take polak he showed in one game this year that he can be a very good player and he has some presence about him, most freo players come good at other clubs.

this would allow us to take gibbs as no.1 again he was best on ground for south australia, either his body is too mature and he is playing at his top enchelon now or he is going to be a super super player. To be best on ground in two losing matches shows great poise plus he plays in glenlgs seniors he would be more ready then murphy this year.

so i hastily say go kangas.

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

I think its safe to say you'll be picking up Gibbs.

 

[blumfieldisback]

oh another on that list would be ashley hansen because he has the same persona about him as mark harvey had, but polak would have the height advantage.

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

Meeson ?

 

[blumfieldisback]

Anybody who thinks our midfield is anything short of very poor is crazy.
We need to take drastic action. I say get 3 midfielders with our first three picks and try to fill a hole that has been in steady decline since 2002. Look what the Doggies are able to produce, the mdern game demands a big group of midfielders who can dispose of the ball well under pressure. Our Midfield has NOBODY who can consistantly hit a target (At the moment).
Gibbs gives us what we need. As Dempsey and Lovett further develop their game and if Winderlich and dyson can step up,pace won't be such an issue.

This is the most important draft the club has ever had. The stakes have never been this high and from all reports the talent pool has never been this large either. Therefore i hold the view that whoever we get with our 1st pick will be a quality player. Our second and third pick (eg. #18 + #20) becomes Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo important!!!! We can't afford to do a "2001" and pick up a Shane Harvey only to see a Dal santo go 2 picks later... Geelong picked up 8 good senior players from that draft and now we need this "superdraft" to run deep for us.

someone correct me if im wrong but i think you will find de santo went two picks before harvey, del santo went pick 13. BUT two selections after harvey went another super super player who i was hoping would come out of contract this year because apparently we have been into his head the last 2 years and that is Daniel Kerr and if he was playing ina victorian club people would be saying he is beter then del santo.

but i agree with you we need some quality midfielders, we have some on the rise but this day and age you need constant rotations thats is why brisbane is partly in decline, its why carlton and essendon are on the bottom we dont have the midfield depth. but we have to have the balance and we have shown without lloyd we dont have much else up forward, polak could play both positions.

the draft is being touted as a super draft but not because of midfielders gibbs is the exception, i think we need 2 top 10 players so we can claim gibbs and then a tall then with our next pick 17 or 18 (assuming one has been traded with a player to get a higher pick and a 3rd rounder) claim the next best midfielder, then the next best available player in the 3rd round and use the pre season to get polak, im going with you on this one longy i wanted him last year to.

 

[Philhawk]

the draft is being touted as a super draft but not because of midfielders gibbs is the exception, i think we need 2 top 10 players so we can claim gibbs and then a tall then with our next pick 17 or 18 (assuming one has been traded with a player to get a higher pick and a 3rd rounder) claim the next best midfielder, then the next best available player in the 3rd round and use the pre season to get polak, im going with you on this one longy i wanted him last year to.

Tell me which club would be stupid enough to trade away a Top 10 pick in this draft?

 

[Longy413]

someone correct me if im wrong but i think you will find de santo went two picks before harvey, del santo went pick 13. BUT two selections after harvey went another super super player who i was hoping would come out of contract this year because apparently we have been into his head the last 2 years and that is Daniel Kerr and if he was playing ina victorian club people would be saying he is beter then del santo.

Dal Santo did go before Shane Harvey (pick 18). But so did Kerr.
Kerr went 12 months before Harvey. He was in the 2000 draft and went at pick 18. We took Davies at pick 17. On Kerr though, he was said to have gone earlier than expected because there were huge concerns over his size. Great pick by the Eagles.

 

[mcphee_is_a_gun]

Meeson ?

we have plenty of ruckmen already so pass.

 

[macca69]

I think its safe to say you'll be picking up Gibbs.

doesn't Sheedy usually go with a KPP with his first pick?

 

[Longy413]

doesn't Sheedy usually go with a KPP with his first pick?

1996 - Chris Heffernan
1997 - Mark Bolton
1998 - Mark McVeigh
1999 - David Hille
2000 - James Davies
2001 - Shane Harvey
2002 - Jason Laycock
2003 - Kepler Bradley
2004 - Angus Monfries
2005 - Paddy Ryder


Hille was pick 40 in the year we had draft penalties, Bradley played his junior footy as a midfielder and no-one has really worked out what Mark Bolton is.

So it's fair to say it's a bit of a mix there.

 

[foj1]

Tell me which club would be stupid enough to trade away a Top 10 pick in this draft?

Sydney traditionally are prepared to trade 1st round pick.
Geelong may look at it as they have a youngish list and have a first rounder at a bargain basement price.
Bulldogs need a key position player- if they think they cant get Thorp, M Clark or Reiwoldt- Sellar, Hansen, Gumbleton and Luenenberg? almost certainly gone they may trade for key position player because of their young list.

 

[macca69]

1996 - Chris Heffernan
1997 - Mark Bolton
1998 - Mark McVeigh
1999 - David Hille
2000 - James Davies
2001 - Shane Harvey
2002 - Jason Laycock
2003 - Kepler Bradley
2004 - Angus Monfries
2005 - Paddy Ryder


Hille was pick 40 in the year we had draft penalties, Bradley played his junior footy as a midfielder and no-one has really worked out what Mark Bolton is.

So it's fair to say it's a bit of a mix there.

probably phrased that wrongly, when he has a pick in the top 10 he usally picks KPP.

 

[Longy413]

probably phrased that wrongly, when he has a pick in the top 10 he usally picks KPP.

Doesn't really help your arguement.
Our top 10 picks have been -

1986 - Andrew Payze
1987 - Andrew Rogers
1988 - Michael Werner
1991 - Michael Symonds
1994 - Scott Lucas, Blake Caracella
1996 - Chris Heffernan, Daniel McAlister
1997 - Mark Bolton
1998 - Mark McVeigh
2002 - Jason Laycock
2003 - Kepler Bradley
2005 - Paddy Ryder

Still a fair mix there, unless you're only judging our last three years. But then again that depends on whether you consider Bradley a KPP because that really wasn't what he was drafted as.

Six of the seven top ten picks before that were all midfielders/flankers.