Freo Draft Strategy

[Side Bet]

A brief chat with a Demon friend of mine confirmed their startegy is "flexibility". Don't expect too many specialist players being drafted in the near future. And it makes sense in terms of where they are, and where they think AFL is heading. And it got me thinking / revisiting our mix of draftee's.

I was (stupidly) watching Classified again, and they showed Rich's statistics in his first year against Judd, and Joel Selwood... and I was not dissapointed.

We have already managed to secure many players of that type / ish: Palmer, Suban, De Boer, Clancee but there is only one Steve Hill. While hyped players come and go, maybe we finally got our Mcleod?

We also have Balla's who looks set to play a lot of football for us, and a healthy mix of mediums to talls (Clarke, Buca, Sibasado, Shepheard).

Plus, we have gone for speed and grit. I wonder how this will impact our team? If we had drafted Rich first, it could have messed out all our subsequent selections too. We might have passed on Suban, and got Rich and Hanneberry, Bennel or Smith (speedy type).

 

[Clay Davis]

So the Demons drafting strategy is to draft a lot of flanker types who can play anywhere on the ground, but won't hold a true position? Sounds familiar. Best of luck, Melbourne fans.

 

[4n20]

So the Demons drafting strategy is to draft a lot of flanker types who can play anywhere on the ground, but won't hold a true position? Sounds familiar. Best of luck, Melbourne fans.

Who is responsible for that, i wonder?.

 

[prattsta]

Hill - W
Ballantyne - HF
Suban - HB
Clarke - R
Walters - Ro
Ruffles - HF
Hall - W (HF possibly, not sure yet to be honest)
Bucovaz - HB/HF
Sibosado - FF
de Boer - Rr
Pearce - HB
Van Berlo - Ro
Broughton - BP
Shepheard - CHF/CHB

I'm not 100% on some of the rookies but that's where I see all our 2008 draftees playing their best football. It's a fairly versatile group, unlike other years they don't all play their best football in the same position though.

 

[Clay Davis]

I reckon Bucovaz will play a similar role to what Solomon does. Even someone like Max Rooke, maybe.

 

[K Man]

What's happened to Bucovaz?? Is he playing ressies or still injured.

 

[sabre_ac]

I think our developing tall stocks are extremely weak, however with your first draft pick you take best available everytime...No doubt about it.

From 2nd on-wards I think its tougher to rank the kids and you can start addressing team needs.

Obviously Key forward's and Backs are priorities.

 

[theGav56]

I am not so sure that you should try and be too tricky with drafting strategies.

A high first round pick like we will have should be the very best player available, and if they are several players equally rated then weight them for potential upside, position requirements and being WA based in that order. But don't let the weightings boost a player beyond where they should be selected in my opinion, especially when we have a wide range of needs; perhaps if we were in a situation where all we needed was a FP for example, then reach for them, but otherwise forget it.

After the first selection I would have a higher rating for position needs and skills (because it is a pretty general weak area for us) like speed and field kicking.

We have gone down a line of selecting players who can play anywhere before, but ended up with some players who are average in every single position.

 

[Mundy]

Tall. For the love of god, go tall.

After we get Lucas, Morabito or Trengrove.

 

[Clay Davis]

Siding with Morabito, from what I've seen (if Trengrove ain't around).

 

[Side Bet]

Trengove sounds like another present for us from SA. From what I have seen he can carry a team on his shoulders, and Pav's are taped up pretty bad!

 

[hedgehog]

I think that one of the main attributes our recruiting staff would look for in a potential draftee is work ethic, with the belief that someone who works had at training to improve their game and will give their heart and soul for the team would be able to function better as a team, get the best out of themselves and execute a gameplan better than someone with perhaps more talent that doesn't apply themselves as well.
A common theme among players Harvey has selected is work ethic; Hill, Mayne, Palmer, Suban, Ballantyne, Broughton, Pearce etc.
Work ethic shouldn't be prioritised in front of skill or position, but I'm happy for Harvey and the recruiting staff continuing to draft players based on this manner.

 

[melbournedocker]

Agree that things should be kept reasonably simple when looking at draft picks.

If there any specific areas I would be looking at for the draft, it would be talls and speed.

 

[rgauci]

I think we'll surprise everyone and go quite small this draft. We'll probably have 6 selections in the national draft and go small in 5. Ive just got this feeling. We went pretty small last draft.

Hill 184cm
Ballantyne 174cm
Suban 181cm
Clarke 203cm
Walters 177cm
Bucovaz 188cm
Ruffles 180cm
Hall 181cm

That is a miniature overall draft. I remember being really dissapointed in the balance of players taken at the national draft. Clarke is tall but is a ruckman. We haven't selected 1 KPP. There were some pretty handy selections available at 21 and 24. Trengove and McKernan had big reputations. Can't say im unhappy with Ballantyne and Suban though.

Ive got a feeling we'll continue the trend. I remember our drafting guru Brad Lloyd (1st year in charge 2008) stating something along the lines of the game trending back towards the small men.

In Lloyd we trust.

I would love to get Morabito at the beginning of the draft. He could potentially become a Goodes/Pavlich midfielder in his early years, then progress into a key position player. A perfect fit for Fremantle in its current state.

Fyfe is another kid with so much talent and potential. Great height at 186cm, amazing pace. Had a 35 possession 8 goal game in the colts. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the bolter of this draft. Every phantom draft has him as a late 2nd round or early 3rd. IMO he could easily slip into the 1st round.

A bit like Ballantyne, im not sold on Lewis Jetta. But Ballantyne has proven m wrong.

Wouldn't it be amazing if Swallow and Darling were available this draft. I hate the GC before they've even entered the competition.

 

[Selggad]

Our last draft we targeted specific needs in a small forward and back-up ruckman and went for several midfielders which is always a priority but very strongly for us with the turnover of our list and particular speedy players; another deficit we have had for several years.I would think we will do the same again except the specific need this time will be KPPs. Despite Loyd's idea of the game going smaller, KPPs will still have a role, though perhaps in fewer numbers. I think we will draft speedy gritty mids and a KPP in the second round.

 

[Lach72]

Mundy/jg/Ysaye/Swannies, what are your thoughts on Josh Donaldson?

 

[Mundy]

Mundy/jg/Ysaye/Swannies, what are your thoughts on Josh Donaldson?

Too small for a ruckman, that seems to be his prefferd position. Dont know if he has enough strings to his bow , having said that, what he has shown down back on occasion has impressed, for a big lad he disposal by foot is pretty handy. Long arms help seem to be his feature, good for a ruckman, good for spoiling.

I'd like to see how he goes over the first 20m at draft camp.

I'd look at him later on in the draft, maybe 3rd round or even a rookie selection. Dont get to alot of West Perth games to be honest.

From what I have seen he is good around the ground and does well contesting in the juniors, at senior level a 193cm ruckman wont cut it. Has to make it elsewhere.

 

[DCFCFAN84]

Last year we went for a lot of flankers that can play a variety of positions. It will be intresting to see if we try to lock down some KPP's this year as most our KPP's are 26-29. Hopefully we can secure atleast 1 KPF like Panos IMO we are in a bit of trouble with our KPP considering we dont have many young guys that fill that roll and the gold coast are coming in next year.

 

[Lach72]

Too small for a ruckman, that seems to be his prefferd position. Dont know if he has enough strings to his bow , having said that, what he has shown down back on occasion has impressed, for a big lad he disposal by foot is pretty handy. Long arms help seem to be his feature, good for a ruckman, good for spoiling.

I'd like to see how he goes over the first 20m at draft camp.

I'd look at him later on in the draft, maybe 3rd round or even a rookie selection. Dont get to alot of West Perth games to be honest.

From what I have seen he is good around the ground and does well contesting in the juniors, at senior level a 193cm ruckman wont cut it. Has to make it elsewhere.

Rminds me of a young Dustbin

 

[george2]

i think our first pick will obviously be a midfielder in the mould of a trengove or morabito because of the lack of quality talls in this year draft. for our second pick which will probably be 18 or 19, i think we should get jake carlisle from vic metro i think it was, he is a kpf with a good grab on him and watching him in the 18s game against sa i think he kicked 4 or 5 goals and looked really good, good grab good mover for a big guy. would love to get him in our team

 

[splendidham]

I keep on hearing about how this year is our last chance to take a KPP due to GC coming in next year and taking the 1st 10 picks or something like that. However, there will be picks available in the top 10 next year if we finish towards the bottom end of the ladder and I'm pretty sure next years draft will be pretty deep. GC will have the 1st pick in each round as well as picks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15. That means 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 onwards are available. In what should be a deep draft, that plenty of opportunity to dig out a top notch KP. I wouldn't panic yet. Go best available this year, no matter what position. There's no substitute for class

 

[The Purple Jesus]

i think our first pick will obviously be a midfielder in the mould of a trengove or morabito because of the lack of quality talls in this year draft. for our second pick which will probably be 18 or 19, i think we should get jake carlisle from vic metro i think it was, he is a kpf with a good grab on him and watching him in the 18s game against sa i think he kicked 4 or 5 goals and looked really good, good grab good mover for a big guy. would love to get him in our team

I have seen Jake Carlisles name mentioned on a few threads. Does anyone know if he is related to Alipate? He goes ok so if he was as good as him would be worth a shot in my book. Alipate for a young kpp has done pretty well so far at Port

 

[jgb99]

Mundy/jg/Ysaye/Swannies, what are your thoughts on Josh Donaldson?

Agree with what Mundy said.

Has the tools to become a good key defender ... quick, mobile, big leap, long arms, uses the ball effectively and works hard ... looks comfortable in defence when he drops back in the hole as a ruck (haven't seen him at colts but apparently he has played some defence effectively).

I have him in the 30-40 range ATM ... a worthwhile project from the 3rd round and onwards.

TPJ - no relation b/w Alipate and Jake (Alipate is of Fijian descent).

 

[SupersonicDocker]

I keep on hearing about how this year is our last chance to take a KPP due to GC coming in next year and taking the 1st 10 picks or something like that. However, there will be picks available in the top 10 next year if we finish towards the bottom end of the ladder and I'm pretty sure next years draft will be pretty deep. GC will have the 1st pick in each round as well as picks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15. That means 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 onwards are available. In what should be a deep draft, that plenty of opportunity to dig out a top notch KP. I wouldn't panic yet. Go best available this year, no matter what position. There's no substitute for class

Thats a good point to make and one i have considered before. For me the only concern is the Gold Coast have the luxury of taking the 2/3 best talls and 2/3 best mids before a team like us even gets a sniff.

I honestly dont think we will finish in the bottom 4 next year unless we are cut down by injuries again.

However, that being said i would be all for the club taking a KPP next year with our first pick.

Was funny to hear that Swallow has rejected the Gold Coasts offer to go over and play in their TAC team next year. Wants to stay in Perth. Although nothing major i find it funny because from my chats with some of the young guys none of them want to play for GC...


On another topic, its my understanding if richmond win and we lose we will end up with pick 3 or 4 is that correct?

I think for the benefit of the team lets hope Melbourne takes Butcher with one of their picks, thus leaving us with at least Trengove, Morabito, Scully or Lucas.

Im hoping we can nab Morabito, hes the kind of dynamic player our team needs going forward and he will suit Subiaco very very well.

 

[Lach72]

If the Tigers win and we lose, we get pick 3