List Mgmt. Draft thread - 2025 (remaining picks: 29, 34)

[Keys]

Live draft hand
R1: 1 (Duursma), 4 (CDT), 19 (Lindsay)
R2: 29, 34
RD: 1

Draft picks pre-draft
R1: 1, 2, 13
R2: 34, 41
RD: 1

List spots available
Main list: 2 (includes Duursma, CDT, Lindsay)
Cat A Rookie list: 1 (expecting Robertson, Macrae and Schoenberg to join as SSP signings)
Cat B Rookie list: 1

Draft order

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Draft prospect video highlights (thanks to noobermensch)

Rookie Me Central 2025 Draft Guide

2025 AFL Draft Guide

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Matthew Clarke on Gettable 17/11

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Cal Twomey’s Phantom Draft

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[bzparkes]

Who later in the draft is worth picking up to do Sharp's role?

Dev Robertson

 

[Barrybran]

No but clearly the coaches recognised this as an issue, hence him being cut after signing an extension.

I really liked Priddis and was never a hater but there were plenty of times it was infuriating watching him run with the ball at a snail's pace, looking to pass off whilst the oppo just ran forward to cover and he'd invariably kick a loopy 30m ball to a pack and couldn't run the other way to stop the transition.

That's the concern with players like him. He had one role and one role only.

Now in regards to Sharp, he's been playing HFF at SANFL level and looked decent, so he certainly can play more than one role.

The issue I have is the idea that we must pick him to fix our contest woes when there's a lot more consideration that goes into drafting a player, especially with the way the game is going.

Sharp is more important to our structure than any other player we can pick up this draft

 

[bzparkes]

Sharp is more important to our structure than any other player we can pick up this draft

That's putting him on way too big of a pedestal.

What if he turns out to be another Will Phillips?

We already have a very similar player in Clay Hall on the list.

 

[Monsterdarlz]

That's putting him on way too big of a pedestal.

What if he turns out to be another Will Phillips?

We already have a very similar player in Clay Hall on the list.

Clay halls kicking and skills are under par compared to Sharp. Sharp is a better kick, much better over head, better in transition and had alot more strings to his bow

 

[stallon]

Who later in the draft is worth picking up to do Sharp's role?

Dont care, try again next year even or look at Dev/some other rookie type.

We dont need to fix it entirely this year

A pure defensive tagger type could fill the role too

 

[stallon]

Clay halls kicking and skills are under par compared to Sharp. Sharp is a better kick, much better over head, better in transition and had alot more strings to his bow

We dont need Sharp as a package right now.
We need someone to play defensively jn our midfield long term, and we need players to win contested ball.
Long term our prospects for contested ball in the midfield arent bad, theyre certainly not as dire as many on here make out.
A Robey plus Duursma combo should add and complement what we already have and be more than enough

 

[bzparkes]

Clay halls kicking and skills are under par compared to Sharp. Sharp is a better kick, much better over head, better in transition and had alot more strings to his bow

Hall's kicking got a lot better later in the year as he adapted to the pace of the game. He's actually been pretty good in transition this year, although I'd like to see him playing more inside.

His issue is he doesn't have the burst pace to keep up with his opponent, which is the concern over Sharp. Great if he can get the ball but what if he doesn't?

 

[Wooshaaaa]

Dont care, try again next year even or look at Dev/some other rookie type.

We dont need to fix it entirely this year

Yes we ****ing do.

It needs fixing now. Now FFS. It cannot continue ISQ, getting demolished at stoppages and clearances every friggin game.

Harley will leave. Mini will get sacked. Duursma will follow.

This is the most important year of the rebuild. We need to half every contest, we need to win some games of footy..... and the stats don't lie, the best teams are the ones with the best contested, clearance and post clearance possessions players.

Post haste

 

[bzparkes]

Yes we ****ing do.

It needs fixing now. Now FFS. It cannot continue ISQ, getting demolished at stoppages and clearances every friggin game.

Harley will leave. Mini will get sacked. Duursma will follow.

This is the most important year of the rebuild. We need to half every contest, we need to win some games of footy..... and the stats don't lie, the best teams are the ones with the best contested, clearance and post clearance possessions players.

Post haste

An 18yo Sharp is going to fix all of this?

Right-e-o...

 

[Monsterdarlz]

Hall's kicking got a lot better later in the year as he adapted to the pace of the game. He's actually been pretty good in transition this year, although I'd like to see him playing more inside.

His issue is he doesn't have the burst pace to keep up with his opponent, which is the concern over Sharp. Great if he can get the ball but what if he doesn't?

Disagree the clay was purely an inside mid at under 18s. Hes played alot of footy on the outiade this year and done admirably. I just think sharp is much better with his positioning and knows where to be when its not the coal face

 

[bzparkes]

Disagree the clay was purely an inside mid at under 18s. Hes played alot of footy on the outiade this year and done admirably. I just think sharp is much better with his positioning and knows where to be when its not the coal face

Sure. I'm in no way against drafting him but if he's not the most talented player at pick 2, then we need to be picking someone else instead of reaching for him.

Our list isn't at the point where we reach for list needs, we have way too many holes.

 

[uptheWC]

My point is that if you look at the 4 preliminary finals teams from this year, none of them have a player of Sharp's type that was picked with a top end pick. Dunkley's probably his closest comparison and he went at pick 25.

As good as Tom Green and Patrick Cripps are, neither of their clubs have posed a legitimate threat to the flag with them being at the top of their game. In fact, Carlton's over-reliance on heavy contested work has arguably cost themselves a shot at success.

Take Geelong and Brisbane as an example. Yes, they have Dunkley and Atkins but neither were single digit picks, let alone top 5, and both of them do more than just extract and tackle.

If Sharp's deemed the 2nd best talent in the draft and WCE pick him because of that, then of course I'll be fine with that. The issue is, he doesn't seem to be rated top 2 anywhere other than on this board, so I don't really want the club reach for a player who may not be the most talented at that pick.

We've just seen similar types in Phillips and Hobbs de-listed due to their inability to translate a similar game to AFL level and we absolutely cannot afford to miss a high end talent at pick 2 to simply address 'needs' which can be done in other ways.

Yes Dunkley went later in the draft, but if a player certain to be of Dunkley’s calibre was available at pick 2 this year, you’d be crazy not to take that. I think Sharp is the most likely player from this years draft to reach his ideal player comparison.

Sharp also does much more than just extract and tackle, he can rest forward to much greater effect than the likes of Dunkley and Atkins can, and is more than capable on the spread despite not being particularly fast.

I could be wrong, but I don’t believe Hobbs or Phillips ever had the tackling proficiency or ability to rest forward that Sharp has.

Regarding the prelim teams, Hawthorn have Newcombe who is a quality player of a similar mould despite not being picked in the national draft at all.

 

[Monsterdarlz]

We dont need Sharp as a package right now.
We need someone to play defensively jn our midfield long term, and we need players to win contested ball.
Long term our prospects for contested ball in the midfield arent bad, theyre certainly not as dire as many on here make out.
A Robey plus Duursma combo should add and complement what we already have and be more than enough

We need to draft for it. Baker and graham are good ground level players but they are hardly needle movers as evidenced by this year. Scrap heap pick ups for players that are defensively accountable and good inside doesnt fix our issues. Our biggest glaring need is blue chip midfield options and neglecting it again this year will show similiar results to last year

 

[uptheWC]

Clay halls kicking and skills are under par compared to Sharp. Sharp is a better kick, much better over head, better in transition and had alot more strings to his bow

Hall also doesn’t tackle

 

[Barrybran]

We dont need Sharp as a package right now.
We need someone to play defensively jn our midfield long term, and we need players to win contested ball.
Long term our prospects for contested ball in the midfield arent bad, theyre certainly not as dire as many on here make out.
A Robey plus Duursma combo should add and complement what we already have and be more than enough

Sharp is exactly what we need right now for the reasons you cite as being what we need - someone who can win the ball and play as a defensive midfielder.

I agree that our midfield prospects are better than people make out but our ball winning ability is a weakness, we have a generational player who excels as a first receiver and we have the opportunity to draft someone who can unlock that ability.

 

[uptheWC]

We dont need Sharp as a package right now.
We need someone to play defensively jn our midfield long term, and we need players to win contested ball.
Long term our prospects for contested ball in the midfield arent bad, theyre certainly not as dire as many on here make out.
A Robey plus Duursma combo should add and complement what we already have and be more than enough

You just completely contradicted yourself from one sentence to the next. Sharp as a package does all that long term.

 

[NSLK]

I'd really like both Duursma and Sharp and hope ArdentEagle is manifesting good juju, but I think CDT is going to make a few folks look pretty silly pretty quickly.

 

[bzparkes]

Yes Dunkley went later in the draft, but if a player certain to be of Dunkley’s calibre was available at pick 2 this year, you’d be crazy not to take that. I think Sharp is the most likely player from this years draft to reach his ideal player comparison.

Sharp's injury before the combine certainly came at a poor time. A lot of fears could be alleviated if he'd tested.

Sharp also does much more than just extract and tackle, he can rest forward to much greater effect than the likes of Dunkley and Atkins can, and is more than capable on the spread despite not being particularly fast.

I think he looks very good but there's been plenty of kids who've had similar CV's in their draft year and not gone on to be elite at AFL level. Sharp's floor will be high but does he have much more of a level to go to? That's the worry. You don't use pick 2 on low Ceiling blokes to fix immediate issues.

I could be wrong, but I don’t believe Hobbs or Phillips ever had the tackling proficiency or ability to rest forward that Sharp has.

I don't personally recall them but I remember this board frothing over Hobbs and losing their shit when we ended up with Chesser. Horrific first round though.

Phillips was a surprise at the time, not because of how he was rated but because of North's desperate need for a KPF, with McDonald right there for the taking. He was definitely rated and not a reach but he just couldn't translate his game to AFL level, hence NM going for Wardlaw 2 years later.

If Sharp can be in the Wardlaw mould(minus the injuries) then I'd have zero issues picking him whatsoever. I'm not convinced he has the physical attributes though.

Happy to be proven wrong should we take him though.

Regarding the prelim teams, Hawthorn have Newcombe who is a quality player of a similar mould despite not being picked in the national draft at all.

Yes, as a mature age state-league player. With the extra rookie spots, we should be going through a few mature agers to see what they've got at AFL level. Would be amazing to find another McCarthy.

 

[DirtySandman]

we just need to take best available imo.

I don't like the " he doesn't fit our gameplan" that's kinda arrogant, for how pathetic we are.

the best players will fit any gameplan.

 

[ballsohard]

We dont need Sharp as a package right now.
We need someone to play defensively jn our midfield long term, and we need players to win contested ball.
Long term our prospects for contested ball in the midfield arent bad, theyre certainly not as dire as many on here make out.
A Robey plus Duursma combo should add and complement what we already have and be more than enough

I agree, next year our midfield will probably have a mix of minutes from the below players:
Reid
Hewett
Yeo (if healthy)
Kelly
Robertson
Hough
McCarthy
Graham
Hall
Gross
Allan (stints/future)
Baker (stints)
Duursma (stints/future)
As well as any other rookies we pick up

We have plenty of young options in there, unless people are writing Hall/Gross/Allan off at this stage already.
I'm not against adding Sharp but it's not the be all or end all and the club would have it's reasons for going down the CDT path if that's what they choose to do

 

[uptheWC]

Sharp's injury before the combine certainly came at a poor time. A lot of fears could be alleviated if he'd tested.



I think he looks very good but there's been plenty of kids who've had similar CV's in their draft year and not gone on to be elite at AFL level. Sharp's floor will be high but does he have much more of a level to go to? That's the worry. You don't use pick 2 on low Ceiling blokes to fix immediate issues.



I don't personally recall them but I remember this board frothing over Hobbs and losing their shit when we ended up with Chesser. Horrific first round though.

Phillips was a surprise at the time, not because of how he was rated but because of North's desperate need for a KPF, with McDonald right there for the taking. He was definitely rated and not a reach but he just couldn't translate his game to AFL level, hence NM going for Wardlaw 2 years later.

If Sharp can be in the Wardlaw mould(minus the injuries) then I'd have zero issues picking him whatsoever. I'm not convinced he has the physical attributes though.

Happy to be proven wrong should we take him though.



Yes, as a mature age state-league player. With the extra rookie spots, we should be going through a few mature agers to see what they've got at AFL level. Would be amazing to find another McCarthy.

I personally don’t see Sharp’s ceiling anywhere near as low as others see it. I also don’t see him as a reach, was touted a potential no.1 pick earlier and has remained top 5 open pool throughout.

Hawthorn got lucky with Newcombe, if a similar player is there at the top of the national draft it’s worth it imo.

 

[RustyShacklefordFalcon]

Are we trying to win brownlows or are we trying to win flags?

 

[bzparkes]

I personally don’t see Sharp’s ceiling anywhere near as low as others see it. I also don’t see him as a reach, was touted a potential no.1 pick earlier and has remained top 5 open pool throughout.

I feel like, based of rumours, that the club is looking at Farrow potentially for this role long-term.

Yes, I get the 'HBF with midfield potential' angle but he played quite a lot of midfield at Colts this year and ended up playing midfield in the champs, so it's not like he'd be picked for that role on potential alone, although Ginbey did the same in his draft year so I understand the concerns people may have.

Hawthorn got lucky with Newcombe, if a similar player is there at the top of the national draft it’s worth it imo.

Newcombe was one of the Covid-affected draftees and if that draft were done again, you'd have him top 3, alongside Gulden and Thilthorpe. Just shows how hard it was that year for clubs to gauge talent.

 

[txbyhull]

We do need to win more centre clearances and stoppages, I don't think there is a single supporter who would not agree.
Do we not think some of that improvement can come from within the current crop. We pumped quite a few games and mid field time into several of our young guys, hopefully they will go away with a better understanding of what is required.
Harley, Hewett, Hough, Hall and Gross all seem pretty competitive, I personally expect to see some gains.
I also see Duursma as a mid, may not start there be he moves well through traffic.

imo none of these 3 have shown that they’ll be any more than solid midfielders, and I even have reservations Hewett will end up more than a 3rd or 4th string B+ in a contending side. Pretty dire depth chart

 

[Wooshaaaa]

An 18yo Sharp is going to fix all of this?

Right-e-o...

He will slot in immediately as will duursma. Yes.