Draft Watcher Knightmare's 2012 Mock Draft

[HurleyTheFuture]

Just wondering if you think that the bombers will 100% have to use their first round pick on Daniher

 

[Knightmare]

Just wondering if you think that the bombers will 100% have to use their first round pick on Daniher

Still a year out from the draft. So if he gets injured or has a particularly poor season he could slip. But at this stage looks almost certain to go 1st round regardless of how good/bad Essendon's draft position.

 

[Raymann]

Still a year out from the draft. So if he gets injured or has a particularly poor season he could slip. But at this stage looks almost certain to go 1st round regardless of how good/bad Essendon's draft position.

Joe is moving very well and has beefed up over the last 12 months. I believe he is now 90kgs. Was matching Grundy in body to body work in a recent AIS training session. Don't think he will slip past Essendons first pick.

 

[Slattery_20]

I really hope we do have to use our first pick, that would mean he's got on the park a bit and done something.

 

[foj1]

Joe is going really well and can confirm he is in the 90 s weight wise. Essendon are absolutely committed to him and have put 2 years development into him already.

 

[Knightmare]

Joe is moving very well and has beefed up over the last 12 months. I believe he is now 90kgs. Was matching Grundy in body to body work in a recent AIS training session. Don't think he will slip past Essendons first pick.

Joe is going really well and can confirm he is in the 90 s weight wise. Essendon are absolutely committed to him and have put 2 years development into him already.

Thanks fellas.

Good to hear for Essendon that Joe is putting on weight. Will get good ruck minutes this year you'd think.

 

[Old Skool]

North Melbourne to finish 15th?

Yeah, It caught my attention.

I hope Knightmare can draft us up a coach as well.

 

[Knightmare]

Yeah, It caught my attention.

I hope Knightmare can draft us up a coach as well.

I don't mind Brad Scott as a coach. I think he is a very capable senior coach, unsure he has the support though.

You don't have an all star coaching team together that I see a young Melbourne side bringing together - which will become very successful and the envy of the competition.

I don't see the player development as anything incredible and well below average. I don't see this changing.

I don't see a particularly strong leadership group. You had a great leadership group together 10-15 years ago, right now I don't see those experienced heads and the leadership group to drive this team forward.

So I don't see any progress this year and while I see a couple of young players showing some improvement, I don't think it will be enough to continue the climb to the top.

The bottom end of the ladder is a dartboard. It could be argued any number of ways. But right now I have North Melbourne near the bottom.

 

[Old Skool]

We don't make the 8 and questions will be asked.

We finish 15th and the excrement will really hit the fan.

I think rating kids is your forte.

 

[shintemaster]

We don't make the 8 and questions will be asked.

We finish 15th and the excrement will really hit the fan.

I think rating kids is your forte.

Yep. With 4 games against the two newest teams and a relatively good draw, I would say we have a substantially better chance of finishing 3rd than 3rd from bottom.

 

[MaddAdam]

Dude, I like your mock drafts but your ladder predictions are wild ... North finishing 15th?

LOL.

 

[MaddAdam]

I don't mind Brad Scott as a coach. I think he is a very capable senior coach, unsure he has the support though.

You don't have an all star coaching team together that I see a young Melbourne side bringing together - which will become very successful and the envy of the competition.

I don't see the player development as anything incredible and well below average. I don't see this changing.

I don't see a particularly strong leadership group. You had a great leadership group together 10-15 years ago, right now I don't see those experienced heads and the leadership group to drive this team forward.

So I don't see any progress this year and while I see a couple of young players showing some improvement, I don't think it will be enough to continue the climb to the top.

The bottom end of the ladder is a dartboard. It could be argued any number of ways. But right now I have North Melbourne near the bottom.

Except of course that Darren Crocker was offered huge cash by GWS but knocked it back. As for Melbourne, they have just recruited two blokes who spent years at teams that couldn't get a flag and Mark Neeld.

And no strong leadership group? FFS - Petrie, Swallow, Harvey, Ziebell for a start.

Stick to mock drafts mate.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Touchy subject apparently.

Also, both Craig and Misson have been part of premierships.

In fact so have Brown, Viney and Neeld.

How many from North have that honor (genuinely interested)?

 

[Old Skool]

Touchy subject apparently.

Also, both Craig and Misson have been part of premierships.

In fact so have Brown, Viney and Neeld.

How many from North have that honor (genuinely interested)?

Scott - 2 flags (AFL)
Crocker - 2 flags (AFL)
Allison - 2 flags (AFL)


IMO, the "All Star coaching team" stuff is complete drivel. Coaches are stars once they deliver.

The 15th rating is a little surprising considering our lowest BF 1st quartile rating was 11th.

 

[The Nostradamus]

I don't mind Brad Scott as a coach. I think he is a very capable senior coach, unsure he has the support though.

You don't have an all star coaching team together that I see a young Melbourne side bringing together - which will become very successful and the envy of the competition.

.

Wierd comment from you knightmare, i usually rate your opinion but this one is way off.
We have Darren crocker who was voted assistant coach of the year at the 2011 AFL coaches association awards, brett allison is also highly rated and our chief of football donald mcdonald is also very experienced and was once the caretaker coach of hawthorn before coming over to us.

 

[Slattery_20]

And voila, the thread is now about how fantastic North's coaching staff are.

 

[MaddAdam]

And voila, the thread is now about how fantastic North's coaching staff are.

And Melbourne's apparently. It was a pretty crap call by Knightmare that we'll finish 15th.

Anyway, given his stunning accuracy in picking who we'd draft in 2011 - getting exactly none of our picks even remotely correct (apart from the widely advertised re-draft Gav Urquhart one) - I'm willing to let it go.

 

[Slattery_20]

I'm really just surprised you care.
It's one bloke's prediction about other people's predictions based on what'll happen in a season that's not even started yet.

 

[year of the roo]

North's lowest ever finish is 14th. So basically you are saying we are about to approach our worst EVER season? I hope you aren't surprised with the reaction you're getting.

Perhaps you could have just ranked the kids and not assigned a club?

 

[Lance Uppercut]

****, could the North supporters get any more precious?

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Who cares!?!?!

You don't see a supporter from every other team losing sleep over this thread.

EDIT-

Also what LU said.

 

[shintemaster]

****, could the North supporters get any more precious?

Who cares!?!?!

You don't see a supporter from every other team losing sleep over this thread.

EDIT-

Also what LU said.

Shouldn't you guys be over in the "contenders" thread...?

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Uh, no.

 

[Knightmare]

Every year is a new year. Different unexpected things happen.

Admittedly I should have said it a little more carefully and it is my mistake for starting this heated conversation. I mean no disrespect to North Melbourne in voicing my views on their current position but I can't be all that positive when I don't see success happening. All my opinions are informed and if they weren't I wouldn't give them.

From memory i've had North Melbourne in the top 8 going into the past 2 seasons (so I don't nearly get all my predictions right but I feel allot more comfortable with my predictions than sticking with the same ladder order that we had this year which from year to year does not repeat and with my ladder order I'm going with my gut). I don't have anything against North Melbourne and have always had a soft spot for them. In the past I have really enjoyed watching them play but right now I don't see the same excitement I once saw and I'm allot less optimistic of where the list is going.

I'm mainly justifying my position on why I see North Melbourne flopping this year. When I talk leadership/player development/coaching among other factors this is relative to the rest of the competition and with less money, less resources it is difficult and to really change that trend. The only thing I can see driving North Melbourne up significantly would be more star power to turn things around (though I don't see where that will come from and without finishing right down the bottom this is hard to accumulate - though Geelong and Sydney have been two clubs who have had success without this with good drafting, player development and coaching).

I just see North Melbourne as average or below average from coaching group (Brad Scott is a solid coach but doesn't have the coaching group around him to the same level as at some other clubs - Melbourne adding Mark Neeld, Neil Craig, Jade Rawlings to go along with Todd Viney *Stacked with quality. These are just a few who stand out. Collingwood just last year had Malthouse, Neeld, Watters and Buckley)

to player development (haven't developed young core group to the standard of some of the other clubs who have players at similar ages who have developed significantly quicker - look at the way Geelong and Hawthorn are developing their young players right now or how Collngwood did 2 years ago),

to leadership (on the whole very young and inexperienced, few on the list have experienced success so I don't really see that basis for success or that real hard working, winning culture you might get at a Sydney or Geelong who I consider to be among the best run clubs in the league right now).

I don't see the North Melbourne young core group advancing far enough to drive the team into the top 8 and while I see improvement happening in a number of those younger players (Specifically: Atley, Harper, Cunnington, Bastinac, Ziebell and Black with Gibson who I see as good enough to break into the side at some point) But I don't see enough players stepping up this year to a high enough level - which doesn't mean they won't in future seasons, but this year I don't see as a top 8 season with the vast majority of the list 25 years of age or less.


I'm happy to discuss any team in more detail and I'm happy to share and exchange views. But my preference with this thread is to stick to discussing the 2012 draft which is more my intention behind this thread.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Knightmare, you seem to have some reasonable views about North (although I do think they do have some really good midfield talent and doubt they'll finish bottom 5) and it would be interesting to hear (both positively and negatively tinted) your views on Melbourne as a whole.