Recruiting Draft Watch 2021

[eDPS]

eDPS's 2021 Draft Rankings

Lore's 2021 Provisional Draft Order
Any issues with it please tag Lore in this thread: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/2021-provisional-draft-order.1251001/

 

[BrunoV]

Where was I trying to disagree with you?

Sorry mate. Misread the tone.

 

[TheGrizz]

Not knowing much about Hobbs and his limitations, if I were to use Ben Howlett as an example, is he limited to that extent or does he have something X-ish to factor in? Ben could rack up big numbers at lower levels, tackled like a machine, was committed and hard-working, and knew how to kick a goal. But he didn’t have the next level that he could reach. Leadership is one attribute that reads well but everything else could describe Benny Howlett.

Does he have an exceptional ability to release his teammates with handballs to advantage and can create time and space when in possession? Does he have an uncanny ability to read the ball out of stoppages? These are the things that intrigue me about a player like Hobbs.

Ben Howlett was underrated as a player I believe, but I think the consensus is that Hobbs has the potential to be better.

Though if Howlett is your floor as a prospect, you are doing alright. 124 games as an inside mid is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[thaibomber]

Is Goater still Available? What are our chances there?

 

[Lore]

Is Goater still Available? What are our chances there?

Don't think he'll slide from a first rounder to pick 44 so we'll have to trade up.

 

[Ants]

Those 3 guys will be in the starting 22 barring injury. In reality r1 side/ any round side is rarely 100% full strength as we saw for most of last year (That’s why picking best 22s for round 1 can be a pointless exercise). So he’ll get chances if he motors through preseason.

Without injuries, those three are only in if Cox is out.

Midfield/small & medium forward spots =
22 - 7 (defenders) - 1 (ruck) - 3 (KP forwards) = 11

And locks for those 11 spots are: Merrett, Parish, Stringer, Langford, McGrath, Shiel, Walla, Snelling and Caldwell = 9

Leaving two spots in contention. Being fought over by Cox, Smith, Perkins, Durham, Waterman, Ham and Hobbs. Injuries will create more opportunities, but there aren’t that many spots free without them.

 

[Keystone agony]

Those 3 guys will be in the starting 22 barring injury. In reality r1 side/ any round side is rarely 100% full strength as we saw for most of last year (That’s why picking best 22s for round 1 can be a pointless exercise). So he’ll get chances if he motors through preseason.

Pick your best 22 assuming everyones fit round 1

 

[Lore]

Pick your best 22 assuming everyones fit round 1

Best 22 for '22

 

[BrunoV]

Not knowing much about Hobbs and his limitations, if I were to use Ben Howlett as an example, is he limited to that extent or does he have something X-ish to factor in? Ben could rack up big numbers at lower levels, tackled like a machine, was committed and hard-working, and knew how to kick a goal. But he didn’t have the next level that he could reach. Leadership is one attribute that reads well but everything else could describe Benny Howlett.

Does he have an exceptional ability to release his teammates with handballs to advantage and can create time and space when in possession? Does he have an uncanny ability to read the ball out of stoppages? These are the things that intrigue me about a player like Hobbs.

If Howlett played 120 games I doubt he was allowed to ball hunt in more than 10 of them. So we never really got the opportunity to see what he could do in a role he played at VFL level. This is a bit of an unacknowledged reality for many players.

Howlett's actually a very interesting case study for this type of analysis because he could dominate a VFL game inside.

Some of the limitations he had in his game were endurance and overall running power. I also do not recall any semblance of an outside game. So I think they way his productivity gets reduce as a ball hunter is that I'm not convinced he had the ability (both in terms of his touch and even his physicality) to win the ball and stand up under heat, he was a very physical defensive player, and I doubt he had the running power or game to accumulate the ball as prolifically at the higher level.

 

[Keystone agony]

Whats the difference between Ben Howlett

Ben Howlett

Age

37

Ht

180cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.1

4star

K

9.2

4star

HB

7.9

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

6.1

5star

CL

3.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

17.6

5star

K

8.2

4star

HB

9.4

5star

M

2.6

3star

T

5.8

5star

CL

3.8

5star

and Selwood/T.Adams?

Id say they probably just about do everything better

 

[thaibomber]

Don't think he'll slide from a first rounder to pick 44 so we'll have to trade up.

ok, thanx,

 

[Mercurial89]

Richmond and even Geelong have got some very nice picks to have a crack at remaining talent.
Still actually can't believe Richmond's draft hand for a club coming off the run they have had.

Id actually like to do something similar in the next two years once we get some more development into what we have. Get some bulk round 2-3 picks into the club all at once.

 

[Ants]

Richmond and even Geelong have got some very nice picks to have a crack at remaining talent.
Still actually can't believe Richmond's draft hand for a club coming off the run they have had.

Id actually like to do something similar in the next two years once we get some more development into what we have. Get some bulk round 2-3 picks into the club all at once.

Their draft hand reflects trading out of last year’s first round and losing some promising youngsters.

 

[Blind Turn]

Ben Howlett was underrated as a player I believe, but I think the consensus is that Hobbs has the potential to be better.

Though if Howlett is your floor as a prospect, you are doing alright. 124 games as an inside mid is nothing to sneeze at.

Benny Howlett was great - a real trooper. You don’t take Benny Howletts at 13 in the draft though. I’m just trying to ascertain the point of difference from the write-ups we’re seeing.

 

[Howard Moon]

Think the annoyingly predictable lament post pick is people focussing on what he can't do, or what he isn't... He's got no ceiling for improvement, hes not tall, he's not dynamic.

Hang about, any chance of focussing on what he can do? Run all day, tackle like a train, have the ball on a string, elite stoppage craft, poise, leadership, AFL ready body, hyper competitive... It's a far more exhaustive list yet the focus comes on the former. Weird.

 

[Yoda_]

I can understand Yodas point, he makes a good one. Whether it was height or size that has held us back in finals who knows, we know we get belted in CP.

It is hard to fit Hobbs into the best side. It defintly forces a Z.Merrett to the outside, Caldwell to play fwd or Mcgrath to go back. I prefer the first 2 options.

Hobbs is as ready made as JHF is, he plays round 1 all going fair and the domino effect with a fully best side is D.Smith, Durham, Waterman, Francis and Baldwin arent in the side.

I know some will say hes only been at the club for 8 minutes how can you be picking him round 1. I only need to listen to Dodoro and look at his size.

You dont pick these players to sit in the VFL for 2 years whilst you do with guys like Johnson, Knevitt ect

The tall mids can take time especially under developed and those with less flexability.

C.Stephens
Constable
W.Brodie
R.C.Dawkins

We all wanted these at the time. M.Johnson from what ive seen could still be a star no doubt and probably bas greater upside then a Ward, Hobbs, Sheldrick ect but the likelihood of reaching it is less

Hobbs is the safe, secure pick and i cant see why he cant be Selwood/T.Adams

I want to know two things with Hobbs

(1) what sets him apart from Parish, Shiel, Caldwell (Merrett and McGrath can be inside &/or outside mids)

And

(2) Hobbs’ attack on the contest strong enough to perform a role for us? Blocking, tackling etc for our prime movers?


This is why I questioned the selection initially


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[Yoda_]

I would suggest we wait until the end of the draft before we criticise the recruitment of one guy.

If we get a Greg Clark (193cm, 94kg) or Ned Long (195cm, 88kg) with our later picks then getting Hobbs is a masterstroke considering his talent at the point we got him.

Let's just reserve judgement until the whole draft crop is done, as we may have plans for later on that make the selection of Hobbs make even better in context.

Because on talent and play style, he is exactly the type of player we need, height be damned.

It’s pretty common knowledge that inside mid and rebounding half back are seemingly the two easiest positions to fill from top 5 to mid season selections.


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[Yoda_]

He may well play in the backline to start with, a bit like Hepp and McGrath did in their 1st year. If he is that competitive, that might work for him.

This is a good question, and one I have t seen answered.

eDPS , can Hobbs play forward or back? Obviously he is a midfielder but don’t see him starting in there in year 1


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[Lore]

Think the annoyingly predictable lament post pick is people focussing on what he can't do, or what he isn't... He's got no ceiling for improvement, hes not tall, he's not dynamic.

Hang about, any chance of focussing on what he can do? Run all day, tackle like a train, have the ball on a string, elite stoppage craft, poise, leadership, AFL ready body, hyper competitive... It's a far more exhaustive list yet the focus comes on the former. Weird.

I wonder if it's influenced at least in part by lockdown fatigue... everyone's a bit pessimistic generally.

 

[Howard Moon]

I wonder if it's influenced at least in part by lockdown fatigue... everyone's a bit pessimistic generally.

Nah , happened pre pandemic too, infact it happens across the Industry, recruiters focus on what players can't do, not what they can, glass half empty. (Unless an athletic project)

 

[Lore]

Nah , happened pre pandemic too, infact it happens across the Industry, recruiters focus on what players can't do, not what they can, glass half empty. (Unless an athletic project)

Recruiters seems unlikely. I don't remember this happening on the forum with Cox, Perkins, Reid last year though. Prior to that there was a few McCluggage fans that weren't big fans of McGrath iirc, but that was more to do with them having married themselves to the idea of McCluggage pre-draft rather than anything actually wrong with McGrath.

 

[The Bomb]

Very much a Sydney type of player, not like a typical Essendon type of player, what's not to like.

 

[JT_the_Man]

Very much a Sydney type of player, not like a typical Essendon type of player, what's not to like.

Even said he models his game on Luke Parker.

Fitting.

 

[Zach Package]

Nah , happened pre pandemic too, infact it happens across the Industry, recruiters focus on what players can't do, not what they can, glass half empty. (Unless an athletic project)

Not to rag on Knightmare because I value the work he does but he is a classic for putting 'lack of positional versatility' in the weaknesses column when it just such a non issue. I remember he did it with Daniher and Max King off the top of my head and then Gibcus last night.

No one is not drafting Gibcus because he cannot play forward, just like no one is not drafting Hobbs because he cannot play on the back flank

 

[Keystone agony]

I want to know two things with Hobbs

(1) what sets him apart from Parish, Shiel, Caldwell (Merrett and McGrath can be inside &/or outside mids)

And

(2) Hobbs’ attack on the contest strong enough to perform a role for us? Blocking, tackling etc for our prime movers?


This is why I questioned the selection initially


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For me i think i answered 1) elsewhere. His toughness, no short step, hes in your face, tough, rugged, ruthless, killer instinct attitude and play style is different to any of those guys. None of those guys are like Selwood or Adams thus they get smashed in CP

Its a very nice guys group (Ill exclude Caldwell) from all that but no issue with having 2

 

[BrunoV]

Interesting that Twomey has Hawthorn taking Knevitt at 23 (obviously before we had the first round).

Geelong otherwise has 24 and 25.

Based purely on sentiment, there is something about a future Cats midfield built around Conway (205 cm ruck), Stephens (188cm mid) and Knevitt (192cm mid) all from the Falcons that seems so right (or wrong depending on how you feel about the Cats).