Official 2011 Draft Day Thread

[Jubair]

Someone actually DID mention Patrick Weardon in this board before - listing his weight at 44kg. Quigley corrected them saying it was a typo and Weardon (Weado - new nickname?) was actually 74kg. It might be in the 2011 draft discussion - thread 3.

Yeo somehow reminds me of Tim Notting. Mostly because of his athletic capabilties - blistering speed, good vertical jump, ability to play on the wing - similar draft number too (Notting was #26 in 1996).

Happy with Docherty at 12. He went where most of us thought he would go and provides a bit of class coming out of defence with his kicking.

Obviously the club's priorities for THIS DRAFT was different to BF. We thought we needed a KPP or a classy midfielder but they placed priority on a ruckman. Longer was too good to pass up and will hopefully become a dominant ruckman along with Leuey.

 

[Crusha]

Someone actually DID mention Patrick Weardon in this board before - listing his weight at 44kg. Quigley corrected them saying it was a typo and Weardon (Weado - new nickname?) was actually 74kg. It might be in the 2011 draft discussion - thread 3.

I think Cotter gets the chockies there.

 

[spotthedog1]

This will be interesting. I've got to say - I'm not as stoked as many on here...

Longer - fine. whatever. eitherway.
Docherty - so annoyed that we didn't get Greene, but I suppose Docherty will do...
Yeo - not happy about that pickup. Thought there were better options on the table.
Weardon - It's clear that the boy hasn't played much footy, so there's upside-a-plenty, but he didn't look like he was going to get picked up by anyone else. When that happens, pick your next fav (maybe Boseley or Frost, so we could have a KPD, like we actually need), and take Weardon at pick 1 in the rookie.

All in all, i'm calling this an average effort by our recruiters.

 

[Lace Out]

I think we just picked best available with first two and that was never going to be a problem because we need to beef up all categories.I don't mind the speculation with the last two picks,hopefully they can thrive on the hard work required.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Weardon - It's clear that the boy hasn't played much footy, so there's upside-a-plenty, but he didn't look like he was going to get picked up by anyone else.

People on the Drafts board who'd know reckon Collingwood were right into him.

As for Bosely and Frost, no one else picked them up either - maybe Bigfooty groupthink has misled us all again? Regardless, using your logic with Weadon, as no other club picked them up, doesn't it make sense to leave them for the rookie draft?

 

[Grimreepah]

(Weado - new nickname?).

weirdo?

Billy Longer's face reminds me of Xavier Clarke

Yeo speaks funny

 

[Gibbo_88]

This will be interesting. I've got to say - I'm not as stoked as many on here...

Longer - fine. whatever. eitherway.

I wasn't so stoked initially with the Longer decision either, it's not that I doubt Hadley as I have no idea other than highlight videos and a bit of media info to go from but I was convinced that in 3-4 years that we'd see Longer or Leuey start looking for other opportunities. After hearing Kerr make a comment tonight that Voss thinks the team needs 2 rucks to share the load 60/40 and not 80/20 it makes a lot of sense.

Having two top ruckman that both possess speed and can take a good contested mark (Sounds like both need to work on goal kicking) is far better for the midfield set up. Currently we have Leuey dominating the hit outs and our inside midfielders towards the end of the year looked decent at the stoppages. Unfortunately, 5 mins every quarter we need a KPP come in to ruck who has nowhere near Leuey's ruck ability, messes with our KPP structure and can give the opposition some momentum. Having more consistency around our stoppages will definitely give us an advantage over the teams with one quality ruck.

Looking forward to seeing team Longberger

 

[Grimreepah]

I think Leuey not getting injured for 2 years has given some a false sense of security.

 

[ZoBlitz]

All in all, i'm calling this an average effort by our recruiters.

I'm impressed by your ability to make definitive statements about players that haven't so much as touched a football for the club yet.

 

[Haso]

I'm impressed by your ability to make definitive statements about players that haven't so much as touched a football for the club yet.

I think spotthedog1 might be a troll from another club.

 

[PattyKwasagun]

TWO positive articles from Hammo in a row?? This is barely believable.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...in-the-afl-draft/story-e6frepex-1226205370632

 

[Gibbo_88]

I think Leuey not getting injured for 2 years has given some a false sense of security.

I don't think it's a false sense of security, he wasn't exactly physically developed till 2009 and we would have seen more of him in 2009 if it wasn't for that bloody golden staph infection.

 

[Haso]

TWO positive articles from Hammo in a row?? This is barely believable.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...in-the-afl-draft/story-e6frepex-1226205370632

Holy actual shit. My guess is that he must have been lobotomised. Right through the nose.

 

[Grimreepah]

I don't think it's a false sense of security, he wasn't exactly physically developed till 2009 and we would have seen more of him in 2009 if it wasn't for that bloody golden staph infection.

A ruckman not getting injured for two years straight would just about be a first since the merger.

 

[jackess]

Within hours of the draft would have to be the worst time to make a verdict of the clubs recruiting. Especially by people whose knowledge of the draft comes from a couple of hours on bigfooty each week.

 

[dlanod]

I think Leuey not getting injured for 2 years has given some a false sense of security.

This crossed my mind as well. We never have a fit ruckman for that long. Lucky I'm busy knocking on wood so hard that I'm practically tapdancing.

I think spotthedog1 might be a troll from another club.

Bit harsh. Definitely had some great Lions-supporting posts.

 

[chopperduck]

A ruckman not getting injured for two years straight would just about be a first since the merger.

When Kerr was interviewed on SEN after the draft he did make mention that they needed another ruck to boost the midfield as they were very thin. We do have Bergs but after talking to Voss we didn't want to rely on 1 ruck to do 80% of the rucking. We want a more 60/40 split to maybe reduce injury risk. Kerr also did mention that it's not that often that you get your choice of ruckman either (hinting towards that you usually have an injury).

 

[chopperduck]

I wasn't so stoked initially with the Longer decision either, it's not that I doubt Hadley as I have no idea other than highlight videos and a bit of media info to go from but I was convinced that in 3-4 years that we'd see Longer or Leuey start looking for other opportunities. After hearing Kerr make a comment tonight that Voss thinks the team needs 2 rucks to share the load 60/40 and not 80/20 it makes a lot of sense.

Having two top ruckman that both possess speed and can take a good contested mark (Sounds like both need to work on goal kicking) is far better for the midfield set up. Currently we have Leuey dominating the hit outs and our inside midfielders towards the end of the year looked decent at the stoppages. Unfortunately, 5 mins every quarter we need a KPP come in to ruck who has nowhere near Leuey's ruck ability, messes with our KPP structure and can give the opposition some momentum. Having more consistency around our stoppages will definitely give us an advantage over the teams with one quality ruck.

Looking forward to seeing team Longberger

Yup, i too wasn't on board the Longer choice, as i just can't see how we can fit both into the team. Upon saying that i haven't see Longer play forward, and Bergs did make some progress this year, so it is possible that it could work. If we can get these 2 to perform well up forward, and kick a goal or 2 whilst they are resting there, they will make a super team. Hopefully we stay injury free so we can see what they can do combined.

 

[Quigley]

Leuey currently has the second longest consecutive games streak among rucks only a couple behind Cox. Ruckmen get injured and miss games. With the players available I have no trouble with us taking him especially if we rated him as highly as it seems we did.

I don't want to criticise any particular choice but as a whole our list continues to get more and more out of balance. We have a severe lack of key positions and again this was completely ignored by our recruitment team. We might take a couple in the rookie draft but these guys are long shots. We desparately need to put some time into developing some big guys. We have painted ourselved into a corner where next year we virtually have to take a key position. There are a few nice ones sure but there are a lot more great small / medium prospects and we will have to overlook them to address a list completely out of balance.

Hadley seems to be in love with the thin outside player and is trying to fill our team with them. In the last few years we have taken Polec, Bewick, O'Brien, Beams and Banfield was drafted as that type of player. You can also include Karnezis and Lester in there as they have the potential to play that sort of role as well. Are we writing off the likes of Bewick and O'Brien? How are we going to fit all these guys into our team?

Also where are the big bodies to play in the magoos to protect the smalls and help their development. I think this is commonly overlooked. Having mediums like Harvey having to play as a KP not only hurts his development but also the development of those around him who would work off the KP, would like to be able to rely on the KP in the job they do and generally just get used to playing with a bigger bodied player around them. I think the failure to take any key positions not only leaves us entirely exposed in teh case of injuries but also hurts the development of the other young players.

The only guess I have is that we are super confident that we have a big class of key positions coming through the academy and are happy to develop them and not worry about others. This is a massive risk and we will be very reliant on those kids being able to play early.

 

[13Beast]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...in-the-afl-draft/story-e6frepex-1226205370632

Said Longer's Dad lives in QLD and he loves the area. Hopefully he won't be getting home-sick anytime soon and want to leave the club a la Clark.

I'm slowly warming to Longy and Bergs being a lethal ruck combo such as Cox & Natanui. Both are very athletic and mobile, with fairly nice skills for big men. With the right development I'm confident they could split time dominating in the ruck while each booting a couple goals game in, game out!

 

[Hollow Knight]

Wouldn't say we completely ignored KPP options quigs. Lisle is ready to play and may as well be treated as a draftee.

 

[Quigley]

Hahaha heard a "bastards" from behind me at GC picking Schade.

Hehe that was probably me.

Definately made that comment.

 

[Quigley]

Wouldn't say we completely ignored KPP options quigs. Lisle is ready to play and may as well be treated as a draftee.

For the last 4 years we have lost more key positions than we have taken. That's each and every year. We also comfortably have the least number of key positions of any AFL club.

We did completely ignore the issue in the draft pretty much as we have done in the last 4 drafts. This is Hadley's 4th draft and he has only used 2 picks on genuine KPs (ignoring Maguire and Lester is a third tall not a KP) and has never used a pick earlier than the 5th round (from memory that was where Retzlaff went). Hadley has done a great job restocking the midfield but you can't deny he has left the key positions seriously short of talent and depth.

 

[Tassie4ever]

FWIW, this is my take- GWS getting the pick of the crop was the easy bit. If Jonathon Patton stays one year beyond his initial contract, always assuming he is the real deal of course, before he is recruited back to the Eddie FL on huge $'s I for one will be amazed. This same siren call of home will apply to most if not all of the other GWS recruits, all of who come from outside NSW.

The finances allowing a Scully to GWS scenario are a one off. Unless of course the Big D commits more AFL euros toward fulfilling his Western Sydney dream [edifice? monument? statue? amazing misjudgement?]. Long term the dough flows mostly one way- that's South.

It's clear to me that we need to go down the academy route and seek to firewall as much local talent as we can. Bugger the draft which will always be skewed to favour the big clubs or the dreams of the AFL honchos.

We were fortunate to get Longer, and him having his Dad here is a positive. Those bagging the recruiters for taking a ruck rather than a KPP need to get a grip- it's only a few short months ago we were left with using a rookie Irish trainee as ruck backup. Besides, I'm certain I hear Longer say last night that he was as keen on playing forward as ruck. Might be the best of both worlds.

Maybe when we've paid off the Springwood debt we'll have more dough in the kitty- hopefully enough to do a Tippett-type deal without any real drama. Like, for example, making, eg Tippett, Judd, Patton, whoever, an environmental ambassador the Lions' Club- or a gambling adviser, or landscaper of choice, or use your imagination. Others have.

 

[Quigley]

Sumner looked gutted.

Buntine was the guy I thought who looked the most upset. He did not look impressed at all.

I think GWS is going to have a lot of trouble keeping their players.