Drafting Tall 2012

[theGav56]

This is not going to be a particularly insightful post as I really have no idea about the young talent that will be available via this years draft. But the club did flag that they would begin to address the need for Key Position players in it.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/af...t-to-boost-talls/story-e6frg1xu-1226206929586

In the Drafts and Trading Board a few lists have started to emerge, including Knightmare's 2012 Mock Draft to get some information out about the prospects.

Guess what..... it is loaded with midfield talent, some really exciting small/medium forwards with electric pace and great skills, and..... looks very light for...... Key Position players.

Mason Shaw tops the list, but quite simply won't be available to us you would think. And as we know Key Position players outside of the first round, and especially high first round, are pretty rare.

I am sure this is going to be an ongoing discussion point for us this season, which will ebb and flow depending on how Clarke goes, if Moeller comes, how Dawson, Spoons etc contribute, if Anthony gets his act together.

From Knightmare's Mock Draft;

2012 will probably be more of a midfield draft.

With KPPs it's no good getting them late. The best ones come early in the draft. Take them late and you just get leftovers.

The main problem for clubs looking for KPPs this year is that many of those are likely F/S choices:
Joe Daniher, James Stewart. Heck even Jordan Burke (Gee) and Will Beasley (WBD) could go F/S.

But here are some of the other KPPs who could be reasonable gets and their approx draft positions:
Mason Shaw (1st round)
Liam McBean (1st-2nd round)
Aaron Luccon (2nd round)
Kristian Jaksch (3rd round)

Hopefully a few others develop through the year because there just isn't nearly the depth as there is in the mids at this stage.

My recommendation for Brisbane at this stage is get Mason Shaw or similar early because after that 1st selection there just won't be that quality available to you, then stock up on mids later. It's one of those drafts where you could very easily end up with a nice mid in the 2nd round with likely more than a couple of quality options available.

But it's so early that things are sure to change throughout the year.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=901363&page=3

 

[theGav56]

In other news.... does anyone know where Waylen Manson is going to play this year?

 

[Lach72]

The depth in the mids may see a couple of big fellas slide down.
Compo picks etc should se us having our first pick at say 16 or so?

 

[Jezzitizle]

Waaaay too far away to call. Really its only key forwards you need to draft high, all the other tall positions can be developed from later picks or plucked from lower leagues. Dont even know which picks we will have yet anyway.

 

[theGav56]

The depth in the mids may see a couple of big fellas slide down.
Compo picks etc should se us having our first pick at say 16 or so?

I think with all the compo picks coming in that pick 16 may be around the best we could hope for unless the seasons goes haywire.

Waaaay too far away to call. Really its only key forwards you need to draft high, all the other tall positions can be developed from later picks or plucked from lower leagues. Dont even know which picks we will have yet anyway.

Nothing is being "called". It is a discussion thread.

Really it is only KPF's that we need. And it doesn't really matter what picks we have if they are not value in the first round. Mason Shaw is tipped top 5, and we won't have that pick.

Silvagni and Dawson still need to dislodge MacPharlin and Grover. to become permanent fixtures. Pretty sure MJ is going to play back as well. Realistically we cannot fit all of our KPD's in a best 22 at the moment.

Contrast that with up forward where we are in makeshift mode with Clarke and to a lesser extent Bradley. Anthony is our only actual true KPF after Pavlich, and he is on a knife edge as to whether he will continue beyond this season. I am hoping Lyon can pull the forward line together, but there was a reason we looked hard at Clark.

 

[eastfreo75]

We already have Moller in the bank with our last pick.

Rather, go with the same policy of picking best available and get the spare parts from the preseason draft and free agency.

 

[Covertackle]

tall players are over rated. AFL clubs are starting to get over their 'tall' obsession, and are looking more at skill, agility, speed, accuracy, instead of pure height as a measurement for success.

just as it should be.

why did it take so long? there has been evidence for years that height should not come into consideration untill the final decision. skill, agility, speed, and accuracy, durability and attitude should always be ticked offfirst, before size comes into it. its rare that a tall player can match a shorter player for agility, skill, or speed off the mark.

it is the same in the NRL, however, because of the contact, size and durability are a big consideration because of the contact. the AFL has much less contact, so a player can be smaller and less 'durable'.

why its taken so long for clubs to realise this, i'll never know.

it would be interesting to look at the average heights of flag winning AFL sides, compared to the average size for each team in the AFL for that year. i suspect winning sides would average shorter.....?!

 

[free at last]

We already have Moller in the bank with our last pick.

Rather, go with the same policy of picking best available and get the spare parts from the preseason draft and free agency.

Another option for targeting a tall key forward could be via the GWS mini-draft.
There are two picks left.

 

[Wigarus]

Another option for targeting a tall key forward could be via the GWS mini-draft.
There are two picks left.

I think we have about as much chance as we did this year. Unless we drop to even lower than 11th spot.

We just don't have anything worth trading unless you are talking about a player and I just can't see it happening.

 

[theGav56]

I think we have about as much chance as we did this year. Unless we drop to even lower than 11th spot.

We just don't have anything worth trading unless you are talking about a player and I just can't see it happening.

Would be very difficult to get your hands on one of them; pick 4 was the price for Jaeger.

 

[theGav56]

tall players are over rated. AFL clubs are starting to get over their 'tall' obsession, and are looking more at skill, agility, speed, accuracy, instead of pure height as a measurement for success.

just as it should be.

why did it take so long? there has been evidence for years that height should not come into consideration untill the final decision. skill, agility, speed, and accuracy, durability and attitude should always be ticked offfirst, before size comes into it. its rare that a tall player can match a shorter player for agility, skill, or speed off the mark.

it is the same in the NRL, however, because of the contact, size and durability are a big consideration because of the contact. the AFL has much less contact, so a player can be smaller and less 'durable'.

why its taken so long for clubs to realise this, i'll never know.

it would be interesting to look at the average heights of flag winning AFL sides, compared to the average size for each team in the AFL for that year. i suspect winning sides would average shorter.....?!

Quite a few sides fielding 3 talls in the forward line. Others like us have gone away from the 1 ruck + significant other. And the midfields are becoming very tall with heaps of 190+ mids.

I think the trend has changed, but not away from tall. Just that talls have to show other skills.

 

[E Shed]

At the risk of starting another bunfight I'll be keeping a close eye on how Kersten goes this year. After letting Darling slide the year before . . .

 

[Chris25]

In the Drafts and Trading Board a few lists have started to emerge, including Knightmare's 2012 Mock Draft to get some information out about the prospects.

Guess what..... it is loaded with midfield talent, some really exciting small/medium forwards with electric pace and great skills, and..... looks very light for...... Key Position players.

This is because it is so ridiculously early that all they have to go on is who played well as underage players - or more accurately who was named in a squad for the U18 Championships this year. His 2012 'mock draft' is essentially just a list of those players.

And it's much easier for an underage midfielder to get game time, than it is for a 17 year old KPP. These guys will slowly start to emerge this year, and everyone will jump on come the Championships again.

 

[Dockernut]

tall players are over rated. AFL clubs are starting to get over their 'tall' obsession, and are looking more at skill, agility, speed, accuracy, instead of pure height as a measurement for success.

just as it should be.

why did it take so long? there has been evidence for years that height should not come into consideration untill the final decision. skill, agility, speed, and accuracy, durability and attitude should always be ticked offfirst, before size comes into it. its rare that a tall player can match a shorter player for agility, skill, or speed off the mark.

it is the same in the NRL, however, because of the contact, size and durability are a big consideration because of the contact. the AFL has much less contact, so a player can be smaller and less 'durable'.

why its taken so long for clubs to realise this, i'll never know.

it would be interesting to look at the average heights of flag winning AFL sides, compared to the average size for each team in the AFL for that year. i suspect winning sides would average shorter.....?!

WTF? Maybe front on, but the AFL doesn't give you a break after 6 anticipated, low impact, shoulder pad load-bearing tackles.

 

[theGav56]

Yes I am sure you are right Chris. I think Knightmare's assertion that it is a midfielder draft made me nervous about the strategy.

 

[Chris25]

I wouldn't be too worried. Yeah, there are some very good midfielders but just because he doesn't know any of the KPPs, doesn't mean the draft will be weak in that regard.

Once they start to play more in the TAC Cup, WAFL Colts and SANFL U18s, there will be more information out there for Googling. And they'll no doubt jump up the rankings.

 

[george2]

i went to school with a bloke that is coaching one of the PSA 1st football teams and he said that there is a monster of a kpf coming through one of the school teams that is yet to have much attention but he said he will be a shoe in to be drafted in the next draft. Im sure more and more of these kpf will pop up as the year goes on, the season hasn't started yet remember.

 

[Nickos66]

This would be more of a "watch this space" than anything else. Come June/July we should have a better idea of the taller prospects.

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

This is because it is so ridiculously early that all they have to go on is who played well as underage players - or more accurately who was named in a squad for the U18 Championships this year. His 2012 'mock draft' is essentially just a list of those players.

And it's much easier for an underage midfielder to get game time, than it is for a 17 year old KPP. These guys will slowly start to emerge this year, and everyone will jump on come the Championships again.

Agreed, I doubt lyon and bond would have come out saying that they will look to draft tall in future drafts if they didnt have a good idea of the young players coming through

 

[Jezzitizle]

I think with all the compo picks coming in that pick 16 may be around the best we could hope for unless the seasons goes haywire.



Nothing is being "called". It is a discussion thread.

Really it is only KPF's that we need. And it doesn't really matter what picks we have if they are not value in the first round. Mason Shaw is tipped top 5, and we won't have that pick.

Silvagni and Dawson still need to dislodge MacPharlin and Grover. to become permanent fixtures. Pretty sure MJ is going to play back as well. Realistically we cannot fit all of our KPD's in a best 22 at the moment.

Contrast that with up forward where we are in makeshift mode with Clarke and to a lesser extent Bradley. Anthony is our only actual true KPF after Pavlich, and he is on a knife edge as to whether he will continue beyond this season. I am hoping Lyon can pull the forward line together, but there was a reason we looked hard at Clark.

I meant on the part of knightmare, way too early to predict the draft will be light on kpps.

 

[theGav56]

I meant on the part of knightmare, way too early to predict the draft will be light on kpps.

Yeah I don't think anyone is thinking it is a defined thing. Just opening up discussion. For us it will be a discussion about Best Available as opposed to Drafting For Need. And our crew has had a pretty clear preference for Best Available.

 

[chinggis77]

Could of theoretically got Shaw in the mini draft this year, but he wasn't in the mix. Would of needed to have topped Adelaide's offer of pick 10 plus first round compo pick for pick 2 in the mini draft - even then, not sure Bond would of overlooked Crouch.

You could add Franklin into the mix given he is entering free agency.

We should also have a shot in the mini-draft. Jack Martin qualifies as does a kid by the name of Jesse Hogan.

Jack is 185cm as a 15/16yo. Jesse is 191cm at the same age. I remember reading that Jesse played for Claremont colts last year and dominated late in the year in a few games including one where he took 8 contested marks. Both in the AIS.

The problem with Jesse is whether he is a man-boy in a boy's world. The kid is 95kg's and apparently isn't the best kick going around either. However thats based on a writeup on one game that was reported. Would be interested to hear what others have to say.

Jack could still grow also. Imagine a 193cm kid who runs like the wind and leaps over tall buildings.

On another note, I noticed Adam Campbell played for New Zealand against the AIS boys.

 

[Jezzitizle]

Yeah I don't think anyone is thinking it is a defined thing. Just opening up discussion. For us it will be a discussion about Best Available as opposed to Drafting For Need. And our crew has had a pretty clear preference for Best Available.

Its a good thread, wasnt criticising it
I hope we go with best available, I dont think our talls situation is as bad as it was now we have sos and dawson on the list. And with KPFs, you really need a bit of luck there. If Jack comes on like we hope, the problem will be much smaller imo. I really rate Kep, but maybe thats just me..

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

Could of theoretically got Shaw in the mini draft this year, but he wasn't in the mix. Would of needed to have topped Adelaide's offer of pick 10 plus first round compo pick for pick 2 in the mini draft - even then, not sure Bond would of overlooked Crouch.

You could add Franklin into the mix given he is entering free agency.

We should also have a shot in the mini-draft. Jack Martin qualifies as does a kid by the name of Jesse Hogan.

Jack is 185cm as a 15/16yo. Jesse is 191cm at the same age. I remember reading that Jesse played for Claremont colts last year and dominated late in the year in a few games including one where he took 8 contested marks. Both in the AIS.

The problem with Jesse is whether he is a man-boy in a boy's world. The kid is 95kg's and apparently isn't the best kick going around either. However thats based on a writeup on one game that was reported. Would be interested to hear what others have to say.

Jack could still grow also. Imagine a 193cm kid who runs like the wind and leaps over tall buildings.

On another note, I noticed Adam Campbell played for New Zealand against the AIS boys.

We have less than zero chance of getting buddy franklin

 

[Ktrain]

We have less than zero chance of getting buddy franklin

What are you basing that on?