Hi KM, what's your reasoning for Geelong taking Conway with their first given they have Stanley, Ceglar, Ratugolea, Neale, Tsapatolis, and even De Koning as ruck options on the list?
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Hi KM, what's your reasoning for Geelong taking Conway with their first given they have Stanley, Ceglar, Ratugolea, Neale, Tsapatolis, and even De Koning as ruck options on the list?
Knightmare
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Geelong like going local which is largely the reason for the selection, and disproportionately so.
Going through the names though, Ratugolea I don't see making it as a ruck with his better chance being as a KPP (I think a shift to key defence is his best shot), De Koning similarly I feel like will be more of a key position player also.
Stanley and Ceglar are 1-2 year rentals respectively, so it comes down to faith in Neale/Tsapatolis. Neale I'm undecided whether I'd want him as a #1 ruck or relieving ruck more-so. Geelong may well pass on Conway, but Conway could be seen as an upgrade/better option.
I also considered Alleer given Geelong's love for mature agers and need for that key defender, though as in this draft he could well be available at that next pick.
LukeParkerno1
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Very happy with the first pick!
Do we really need a small forward though? We have so many options there already.
Do we really need a small forward though? We have so many options there already.
Yep. Hawks would be taking all 3
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Swans could always take a Cooper Murley as another I considered with the pick.
With Wicks (20th) the only Sydney general forward in the top-50 for tackles i50 on an average per game basis, I can see room for a pressure forward like a Motlop, with that being a component that could be improved upon slightly up forward. I haven't found Wicks all that convincing as a sub 1 goal per game forward, so Motlop would be an upgrade.
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Wicks is rated very highly internally. Motlop is probably an upgrade but personally I’d rather the bloke you picked next. Doubt we’ll look for a small forward. Have lost Hewett and Dawson we need some mid depth. We do have some good academy kids next year though so you might be right just feel a small forward isn’t a need really
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Heeney will play more midfield but I think you're right that more midfielders will be added somewhere through the draft. For my final phantom there will be at least one midfielder joining Sydney.
Wow how long have you watched this kid.
Will be better than Horne take my word.
His upside is massive.
He is a gun in the middle my son played with him a lot out off the centre.
Just to clarify, your prediction is that Sinn will be better than Horne-Francis?
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Sinn?
You'd want to be confident he'll become a top-10 midfielder in the competition for it to even be a discussion.
Horne-Francis and Daicos alike with good development can both be top-10 in competition midfielders.
The worthwhile discussion is whether Sinn can become a genuine midfielder for AFL purposes or whether he's best suited to playing in defence. With limited midfield opportunity for Sandringham, it's a lot easier to confidently assess his play in defence. I can't say through the midfield I've seen the contested side to be anything like the star you're thinking.
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Do you know that lying is a Sinn?
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Hi Knightmare, what do you think about Sam Walsh as a comparable player to Nick Daicos as opposed to Zac Merrett?
- Both balanced inside/outside mids
- Both are competent on the inside but do most of their damage on the outside/in transition
- Both kick goals through general play
- Similar speed
- Similar skills
- Similar size
Honestly I’m just hoping Daicos turns out to be a better player than Merrett, who I think is highly flawed as an inside midfielder and is better utilized on a wing.
- Both balanced inside/outside mids
- Both are competent on the inside but do most of their damage on the outside/in transition
- Both kick goals through general play
- Similar speed
- Similar skills
- Similar size
Honestly I’m just hoping Daicos turns out to be a better player than Merrett, who I think is highly flawed as an inside midfielder and is better utilized on a wing.
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For AFL purposes, I'm not even seeing a role he likely reaches an AFL standard in. He's not someone I'd personally be drafting.
If he does make it, it would be in an outside role. The contested side and his weak tackling and lack of pressure are among his relative deficiencies.
Chesser has his fans and he has been hurt and playing hurt, but he hasn't by any stretch of the imagination starred this year. And at least for me is firmly in the camp of someone I'd let someone else draft.
There are similarities to Walsh, though I have Daicos more similar to Merrett of the pair. Daicos proportionally is more outside and uncontested with the ball he finds as with Merrett and on that even higher extreme as an accumulator than a Walsh. Where Daicos separates himself from a Merrett and a Walsh is being the more damaging forward of centre and more able to hit the scoreboard, which neither have, though I speculative Merrett could add to his game if he was given the chance to get forward more. Stylistically Daicos comes from something like the Pendlebury/Macrae school at stoppages with how he moves and evades and accumulates inside and anticipates everything inside, but is just a smaller version with again the superior forward of centre capabilities.
Why more like Merrett than a Walsh? As with a Merrett, he's an easier accumulator who draws the ball completely at will. He's also relatively more outside to a similar proportion to Merrett where he's still winning a good amount of his own ball, but a much greater proportion is around the ground and outside. Then from a movement and creativity perspective more like a Merrett.
I don't have any problem with Merrett's game whether it's how he plays, or how effective or otherwise he is. Walsh I regard a top 4-10 midfielder. Merrett would be something like a top 11-15 midfielder. If you're getting that with enhanced forward of centre capabilities and heavy scoreboard impact, that's top-10 midfielder in the competition stuff. If that comes to be the career outcome. I'm taking that, and would for any pick 1 or pick 2. Who wouldn't want a midfielder who could go for 700d per 22 games and kick you 30 goals as a midfielder once established? They're crazy numbers to suggest someone who hasn't played an AFL game could get to, but his NAB League numbers are historic with disposal numbers exceeding Walsh/Smith/Rowell, but then with heavy scoreboard impact which those guys never had. He's hard to bet against.
And best way to utilise Daicos? Inside (will need an inside bull alongside him - think your Tom Green prototype) and rotating forward.
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That makes a lot of sense regarding the comparison, very insightful.
The problem I have with Merrett as an inside midfielder is that, he's just too much of a liability at contests. You can't be a top end inside midfielder if you're not good at your primary role, that is winning the hardball.
There are exceptions where you don't have to be an elite contested possession winner if you're absolutely dominant elsewhere.
E.g. Jackson Macrae is 13th at contested possessions but is highly efficient, especially going into the forward 50 - 5th highest goal assists per game. Macrae is a top 15 midfielder
Zac Merrett:
70th for Contested Possessions Per Game
He is most certainly not setting up other midfielders for success.
72nd for Clearances Per Game
In addition to the prior point, in conjunction this statistic is just inexcusable. Clearances are often attributed to the midfielder that clears the ball from a contest, as the last disposal from a congestion. So NOT ONLY is Merrett not able to win the hard ball himself, BUT ALSO he struggles to convert the opportunities given to him by the likes of Parish (premier pure inside mid), Stringer, Langford, Mcgrath etc. While he has spent some time on the wing, so have 50 + other midfielders that spend time up forward, just inexcusable.
25th for Goal Assists Per Game & 6th for Inside 50s Per Game
This is another HORRIBLE STATISTIC for Merrett. Essendon has devoted so much resources by having him as that designated clearance player running away from contests and delivering the ball inside 50.
Despite so many opportunities, and having the 6th most inside 50s per game, he is ranked 25th for goal assists per game, which makes him ONE OF THE WORST KICKS INTO THE FORWARD 50 OUT OF ALL MIDFIELDERS.
With such lackluster performances in his main role as an inside midfielder, his ability on the outside isn't elite either, and definitely not strong enough to even being close to cancelling out his inability to win contested possessions/clearances, which is the main responsibility of an inside midfielder.
On review I actually don't think Merrett deserves to be in the top 25 of midfielders in the AFL. A highly flawed player who serves no specialized purpose in any team or in any midfield.
He is not efficient like Macrae/Pendlebury.
He does not win contested footy/clearances like Wines/Oliver/Steele.
He does not even convert the efforts of others into clearances like T Kelly/Boak/Walsh.
Going back on topic, fingers crossed Nick Daicos develops that contested side or is damaging enough elsewhere to be a top end midfielder... Really don't think having a Merrett cuts it given how much investment has been made.
Question Knightmare, if Johnson and Rachele are both available at West Coast's pick 12, who should they select?
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Ryan from Freo is right up there, as far as that general defender.
He’s a gun and plays way taller then the 187cm he’s listed at, has a nice rounded game and can hold he’s own against any type of forward.
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Knightmare
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I don't view Merrett as ineffective at stoppages. He's average in terms of his contested and clearance work, but he's elite for pressure acts and very good for tackles and uses it well. He rates elite for goal assists and score launches, elite for inside 50s and he racks up the footy at will with the best of them around the ground, so my personal view is his value is tremendous and of a top-15 in the comp midfielder value and he's there each year consistently. Though I do agree he's not on a prime Pendlebury (he was as good as top-2 in the comp at his peak) or Macrae (who has a top-5 case).
As a point of interest on Merrett. Where do you rate him in the 2013 draft? Bont is the clear best, and Cripps and Kelly in some order the 2nd and 3rd best assuming they both can stay healthy.
Is Merrett that 4th guy in your view? Or if not, who else from 2013 do you consider better?
Rachele won't be there I can't imagine. In the strange things fell that way, and too many clubs around that 5 mark like Rachele, but he'd be the pick ahead of Johnson I expect. The Eagles like their long time performers and Rachele really has those years behind him. It might be an instance where West Coast's WA selecting bias is put aside.
Ryan is very good, but I wouldn't call him elite either. As you say, he has a well rounded game and can play taller to the extent that he can play against key forwards. And he can generate drive, so he has that to him also.
Where is Ryan lacking in a comparison to Stewart? He's not that same level intercepter. In key defender terms, Ryan is only average for intercept marks and isn't good for contested marks if you're rating him against other key defenders. His 1v1 loss % is 30.2% which isn't great either. Stewart having those higher intercept mark/contested mark/intercept possession numbers despite not playing as a key defender is telling and placing him in a category above aside from the better 1v1 win rate.
Ryan while I wouldn't regard him as a top-5 general defender deserves to be in that top-10 mix.
Some bizarre calls in this.
What are some of the stranger calls in your opinion?
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Us taking Sinn.
That makes sense given Fahey. Who would you have preferred instead?
Isn't that to be expected though? Ryan has fewer intercepts and loses more contests in part because he's asked to play defensively on taller opponents. Stewart has more intercepts because he's allowed to play looser.
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