Recruiting Draft Watch - Jones, Bryan, Johnson, Cahill, Hibberd in

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May 6, 2007
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Only thing Bowman has over him is forward craft, Bryan has him covered in every other aspect

I think BrunoV hit the nail on the head when he said it's bemusing why we took Bryan as a #1 ruckmen when Draper is also just that. Can they co exist with one holding down a KPF spot?
 

eDPS

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I think BrunoV hit the nail on the head when he said it's bemusing why we took Bryan as a #1 ruckmen when Draper is also just that. Can they co exist with one holding down a KPF spot?
With Bryan its more that i havent seen any forward craft as he would rarely actually go forward for Oakeligh as he was mostly ruck with stints on the bench, he has great athleticism and marks well around the ground so maybe that side of his game could be developed.
 

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Dons4Life

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In the trade with Geelong for pick 50 where we got the future 3rd and 4th, after looking at what Geelong had before the draft it looks like the 3rd is tied to Gold Coast as they lost theirs in the trade for Tim Kelly. Is this right from what I'm reading. If so goes a fair way to replacing the 2nd we traded to north.
 
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The more you look at the draft picks, the more you begin to wonder how much of his draft strategy went to plan? Felt (pre draft) we were always going to try and combine 31/33 into a single pick and utilise the consecutive picks in the 60's. The bid on Cumberland was out of desperation more than genuine access on that player. The failed attempt at moving up to pick Robertson.

He may have got insurance for players that are in limbo at Essendon FC but Dodoro has always been afraid to add depth with quality staring him in the face. See Collingwood, they were keen as on Jake Riccardi, are desperate for a young KPF and he fitted the bill in the picks they had but went with the much higher rated Trent Bianco and Jay Rantall at picks 40/45 even though they don't neccesarily fit the list needs.

It's disappointing to think the players we could have had but are scrambling for insurance in 12 months even though said draftees wont be ready for 2 - 3 years.
Harry Jones won’t take as long as some people think, already has elite running capacity with some of the best gps numbers recruiters have ever seen for a KPF. A lot of key forwards making the jump up to afl struggle with that due to the modern press and running patterns to work over opponents as they’ve come out of the anti density rules in u18s.
 

Towno78

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I think BrunoV hit the nail on the head when he said it's bemusing why we took Bryan as a #1 ruckmen when Draper is also just that. Can they co exist with one holding down a KPF spot?
I would think having 1 ruck below 28yo on the list would be more bemusing. Especially if that bloke has never played a game and is coming off an acl. And when you're current number 1 is teetering on the edge of a cliff.
 

BrunoV

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I think BrunoV hit the nail on the head when he said it's bemusing why we took Bryan as a #1 ruckmen when Draper is also just that. Can they co exist with one holding down a KPF spot?


I don't see how it's possible.

I do also like the idea of nailing the second ruck position because it can only be a good thing to be able to play a number 1 quality ruck the whole game. I can't see how we're doing anything but wasting a spot for a large percentage of game time if we are rotating ruckmen on an off the bench.
 
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elphamale

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Any chance we offer Townsend and Bennell a contract?

Thinking it might be Townsend and Moore. Both ex-Richmond (strong links to Rutton and Cara).

'Moore spent his teenage years in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon where he played junior football with Aberfeldie in the Essendon District Football League.'

'Cut by Richmond after an injury-interrupted year, the 23-year-old has gauged early interest from Essendon and could fill a role after Mitch Brown's delisting.'
 

fairbump_playon

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I’m still melting. We aren’t combating Bontempelli, Martin, Dangerfield with Hibberd. He’s Myers quality. The issue still remains unaddressed.

Although melting isn’t the right word as it’s not emotional at all. It’s confusion at the insanity of repeating the same model that hasn’t worked.
Hard to pick the new Martin when you’re starting from pick 35
 
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I would think having 1 ruck below 28yo on the list would be more bemusing. Especially if that bloke has never played a game and is coming off an acl. And when you're current number 1 is teetering on the edge of a cliff.

Have been one of our biggest advocates in picking up a ruckmen but one with the scope to play as a forward. If Bryan can do this then it can only bode well for the future of Draper and Bryan playing together.
 
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I don't mind picking Bryan up just as a ruckman.

Phillips is a journey man and Bellchambers has maybe 1 or two seasons left. Are we really ready to trust the keys to the city wholeheartedly with Draper?
As much as I like Draper and pre ACL I was very bullish on him, he is still untried and ACLs can be tricky for ruckmen.

Having another developing ruck is important, and if both Bryan and Draper end up capable of being a number 1 ruck, it's only good options (quality backup and competition for spots, or one is a trade chip).
 

BrunoV

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I don't mind picking Bryan up just as a ruckman.

Phillips is a journey man and Bellchambers has maybe 1 or two seasons left. Are we really ready to trust the keys to the city wholeheartedly with Draper?
As much as I like Draper and pre ACL I was very bullish on him, he is still untried and ACLs can be tricky for ruckmen.

Having another developing ruck is important, and if both Bryan and Draper end up capable of being a number 1 ruck, it's only good options (quality backup and competition for spots, or one is a trade chip).


Maybe this is just more evidence of my arseburgers but to me every time I read a post like this I wonder why we are ignoring the 4 year deal Draper just signed.

We handed Draper the keys. If we're looking at Bryan as just a ruck, that's bad list management.
 

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Thinking it might be Townsend and Moore. Both ex-Richmond (strong links to Rutton and Cara).

'Moore spent his teenage years in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon where he played junior football with Aberfeldie in the Essendon District Football League.'

'Cut by Richmond after an injury-interrupted year, the 23-year-old has gauged early interest from Essendon and could fill a role after Mitch Brown's delisting.'
I don’t really want Moore but it would not surprise me.
 
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Maybe this is just more evidence of my arseburgers but to me every time I read a post like this I wonder why we are ignoring the 4 year deal Draper just signed.

We handed Draper the keys. If we're looking at Bryan as just a ruck, that's bad list management.
So what? He is a (promising) 21 year old untried ruckman coming off an ACL, but because he has a 4 year deal we shouldnt recruit anyone that plays the same role?

What if he does another ACL, or just doesn't make the cut. I would have thought drafting a player that can play in the ruck, even if just as a contingency was the definition of smart list management.

That is now 4 rucks on our list, 2 of which are probably in the last 2 years of their career. It's not like we have a Gawn/Grundy type. All of them have question marks marks and most club's have 4 genuine rucks anyway.
 

Fin ice Smuggler

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So what? He is a (promising) 21 year old untried ruckman coming off an ACL, but because he has a 4 year deal we shouldnt recruit anyone that plays the same role?

What if he does another ACL, or just doesn't make the cut. I would have thought drafting a player that can play in the ruck, even if just as a contingency was the definition of smart list management.

That is now 4 rucks on our list, 2 of which are probably in the last 2 years of their career. It's not like we have a Gawn/Grundy type. All of them have question marks marks and most club's have 4 genuine rucks anyway.

Here here... I'm in total agreement with you, hey back in the day we had Madden, Salmon, Somerville and Barnes on our list. Bryan is going to take 2-3 years to develop before he becomes a regular senior player so I thinks it's a smart decision and as Grizz has stated if he and Draper are fighting for number 1 ruck duties all the merrier to us.

Bowman was not the answer, he was not going to be an elite ruck or good enough key forward, wasn't even rookied by anyone else. We have mckernan for that role anyway.

Anyone seen Bryan's speed. He couldn't become that extra midfielder like grundy is for pies. Time will tell but I have no issue with the recruitment of Nick Bryan as our project ruckman.
 
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Here here... I'm in total agreement with you, hey back in the day we had Madden, Salmon, Somerville and Barnes on our list. Bryan is going to take 2-3 years to develop before he becomes a regular senior player so I thinks it's a smart decision and as Grizz has stated if he and Draper are fighting for number 1 ruck duties all the merrier to us.

Bowman was not the answer, he was not going to be an elite ruck or good enough key forward, wasn't even rookied by anyone else. We have mckernan for that role anyway.

Anyone seen Bryan's speed. He couldn't become that extra midfielder like grundy is for pies. Time will tell but I have no issue with the recruitment of Nick Bryan as our project ruckman.

Best case scenario for us is both Draper and Bryan become good - very good AFL standard ruckmen. They become commodities for us to barter with.


I do remember Geelong going through a faze of taking a ruckmen every second year for almost a decade. May not have eventuated to anything monumental but they at least tried to keep it in a moving cycle.
 
Bowman was not the answer, he was not going to be an elite ruck or good enough key forward, wasn't even rookied by anyone else. We have mckernan for that role anyway.
He wouldn't need to be an elite ruck or key forward. I envisaged him filling the third tall/backup ruck role. McKernan is probably only good for another season or two so it's probably a role we should look at finding a replacement for sooner rather than later.

If one of Bryan or Draper can develop enough forward craft to hold down a third tall it would help but as far as I am aware neither has shown much aptitude for that so far... unless the plan is not to share the ruck load between two players.
 
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The most curious of our draft picks is surely Lachlan Johnson. A fwd/mid is something we seem to be well stocked in. The only plausable reason is turning pick 63 into a 2 - for - 1 by selecting Johnson then immediately putting him on the inactive list and allowing us the opportunity to select someone via the SPP listing.

Cahil as much as I wasn't a fan, answers our needs for small forward depth, especially with the long term question marks over Mosquito and his fitness/professionalism towards being an AFL player. whilst the longevity of Fantasia will remain till he finishes his career.

Bryan and Jones obviously answer questions our list needed to answer for long term answers to TBC whilst Jones will be a player to keep an eye on to push for senior selection sooner rather than later.

Hibberd makes sense, the last questions to answer are who we select with our SPP (x2) selections.
 

Fin ice Smuggler

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He wouldn't need to be an elite ruck or key forward. I envisaged him filling the third tall/backup ruck role. McKernan is probably only good for another season or two so it's probably a role we should look at finding a replacement for sooner rather than later.

If one of Bryan or Draper can develop enough forward craft to hold down a third tall it would help but as far as I am aware neither has shown much aptitude for that so far... unless the plan is not to share the ruck load between two players.

The game is an evolution where once you could play 1 ruck then for a period 2 even 3 rucks (see 1990 grand final for 2 seconds) before going back to 1.

What I'm seeing is the evolution to find that secondary ruck that doesn't play as a forward but a roaming extra midfielder. Where seeing yesteryears CHF moving to a wing or Paddy Cripps in the middle, imagine a 200cm running wingman that could chop out in the ruck, it's not a crazy thought if the player is athletic enough.
 
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The most curious of our draft picks is surely Lachlan Johnson. A fwd/mid is something we seem to be well stocked in. The only plausable reason is turning pick 63 into a 2 - for - 1 by selecting Johnson then immediately putting him on the inactive list and allowing us the opportunity to select someone via the SPP listing.

Cahil as much as I wasn't a fan, answers our needs for small forward depth, especially with the long term question marks over Mosquito and his fitness/professionalism towards being an AFL player. whilst the longevity of Fantasia will remain till he finishes his career.

Bryan and Jones obviously answer questions our list needed to answer for long term answers to TBC whilst Jones will be a player to keep an eye on to push for senior selection sooner rather than later.

Hibberd makes sense, the last questions to answer are who we select with our SPP (x2) selections.
Dodoro said in the club puff video that hopefully they can announce one SSP in the coming few days (I imagine once the period starts on December 1)

He also said separately they would look at the other SSP in a few weeks I think. I imagine Townsend gets announced soon and they will survey the market and try sign someone before Christmas to make sure they are ready on the new year.
 

Fin ice Smuggler

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Dodoro said in the club puff video that hopefully they can announce one SSP in the coming few days (I imagine once the period starts on December 1)

He also said separately they would look at the other SSP in a few weeks I think. I imagine Townsend gets announced soon and they will survey the market and try sign someone before Christmas to make sure they are ready on the new year.

Surely they're training with us for us to ascertain best fit?
 

BrunoV

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So what? He is a (promising) 21 year old untried ruckman coming off an ACL, but because he has a 4 year deal we shouldnt recruit anyone that plays the same role?

What if he does another ACL, or just doesn't make the cut. I would have thought drafting a player that can play in the ruck, even if just as a contingency was the definition of smart list management.

That is now 4 rucks on our list, 2 of which are probably in the last 2 years of their career. It's not like we have a Gawn/Grundy type. All of them have question marks marks and most club's have 4 genuine rucks anyway.


Okay, okay, the grand plan is to have the worlds greatest number 2 ruck play reserves every week.
 
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