Mega Thread Official 2012 Draft discussion thread: All drafts complete.

[Logger]

I have got Melbourne in our phantom draft over on the Pies board and was hoping someone could help me out with what type of players Melbourne need - mainly with the latter picks. There has been a lot of player turnover so no doubt some holes to fill. But what sort of players are most necessary?

I think I have pick 4 worked out. I can't go too wrong there, but it depends on who GWS pick. I am expecting one of the very good mids to be available. I am thinking in order of preference Toumpas, Wines & O'Rourke. Probably expect Toumpas to be gone so Wines is the man for me. I think Neeld will like his style. The x-factor here is if Grundy slips - I expect GWS to take him, but if not it would be hard not to take the best available ruck.

With the later picks its a raffle, but would like to know thoughts on what sort of players or player attributes the Dees will be after: speed, tall, small, fwd, back etc.

My early thoughts are another key defender wouldn't hurt and that the forward line is looking OK other than maybe a crumber. If I take Grundy I would look at a mid, but if Wines is taken plus Viney then need to look at other positions.

Any advice appreciated

We will almost certainly be upgrading Nicholson and Magner from our rookie list with our last couple of picks, if you're interested. Nicho is a speedy small back who takes the game on, Magner an inside mid who played most of last year as a defensive forward because of injuries.

I'm hoping if we get Wines at 4 that we pick up someone with a fantastic kick with our next pick because that's one thing we're really lacking going forward. Strauss and Watts are good kicks in the backline but we don't really have anyone else noted for their disposal.

Or we could take a punt on that Waylon Manson bloke from last year

 

[4#Didak#4]

As said above. Speedy mids and small backs. Maybe a pacy small forward with one of the spare picks. Our back and forwardline are pretty close to being complete, our midfield has a core but is way too slow and has very little spread.

Midfielders and small backs.

Although we have traded a bit out, we still have good KPD depth and with the trade period additions we now have a little bit of KPF depth.

Thanks for that.

There actually should be some reasonable small defenders around at those picks so that makes things easier. Also have a few mids in mind who have some pace that may survive that long.

 

[Bazz_38]

I'm a firm believer of picking up kids who do well in their respective junior finals. It's something that Collingwood have taken under their wing and it's paid massive dividends for them. They got a steal in sidebottom at pick 10, the bloke kick 10 in the GF. THey picked up Dale Thomas after a really dominant finals display. They also picked up Andrew Krakour who had 30 something touches and kicked the winning goal in the dying seconds in his WAFL GF. Toumpas played some bloody good finals as a 17 year old, kicking a really crucial goal in the final. He didn't do it again this year due to injury. But I'm confident he is a big time player, he oozes leadership, something our other 'skinny' draftees (gysberts Morton and Cook) lacked.

Than look no further than Jackson Macrae. That kid dominated the TAC cup finals and looks like a really solid player. Reminds me of a pendlebury.

 

[Svensson]

After watching that video I was very impressed with rippon, and from what iv'e seen so far of barry he seems to be quite a smart kicker, and very speedy. I'm very suprised that I hadn't heard anything about Rippon before reading this thread.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

After watching that video I was very impressed with rippon, and from what iv'e seen so far of barry he seems to be quite a smart kicker, and very speedy. I'm very suprised that I hadn't heard anything about Rippon before reading this thread.

Says alot about how hard it is to get picked. only about 80 a year get a gig, and if your not tall or fast then you need to be pretty good naturally at the game to get a look in.

 

[SPC 98]

Says alot about how hard it is to get picked. only about 80 a year get a gig, and if your not tall or fast then you need to be pretty good naturally at the game to get a look in.

I agree... I think each year the top 10-20 guys are set, the rest really come down a lot to luck. I think in the country at any given draft there is around 100-200 kids talented enough to play AFL that never get a through. It maybe because they don't test well enough, they are injured during the key parts of the year, they come through the wrong system.

These guys end up dominating lower level comps with the hope of getting picked up as mature age, that quite often never eventuates.

It is a tough gig!

 

[autocol]

I reckon, with some really astute observation of the lower level leagues, it would be possible to create a finals side solely with mature-age drafting. Professional American sports don't drop kids into the top-level of the game. They develop them (both body and - more importantly - mind) in lower levels before heading to the big leagues at 20-22 years of age. I think that system makes more sense.

I think AFL wastes a lot of potential talent by burning them out before they've ever matured. How many people get drafted in the top 30-40 and delisted within three years? More than half of them, I think!

Lots of people have been talking about "Moneyball" recently, and if someone was to do the analysis of return-on-investment of 18 year-old compared to mature-age draftees, I reckon they'd find that the latter has a much higher rate of creating AFL standard footballers.

 

[jinny1]

So can anyone fill me on how we know Viney will be taken at 26 not 3?? That is great news!

 

[autocol]

So can anyone fill me on how we know Viney will be taken at 26 not 3?? That is great news!

Not sure if serious...

 

[CWaffles]

So can anyone fill me on how we know Viney will be taken at 26 not 3?? That is great news!

No reception in that rock you have been living under?

 

[PureFooty]

So can anyone fill me on how we know Viney will be taken at 26 not 3?? That is great news!

Right now 'm questioning if spongebob square pants is real. Because you have got to be the closest thing to Patrick that we've ever seen in this world.

 

[jinny1]

-.-

 

[Captain Jack]

So can anyone fill me on how we know Viney will be taken at 26 not 3?? That is great news!

Neither GC nor GWS bid for him with their first picks, so he got through to our second round... speculation has been rife that there was some form of handshake deal with one or both clubs to not nominate him.

 

[jinny1]

Neither GC nor GWS bid for him with their first picks, so he got through to our second round... speculation has been rife that there was some form of handshake deal with one or both clubs to not nominate him.

Thank you for that hmm maybe they just thought Viney wasn't worth a top 3 draft pick.

 

[Captain Jack]

Thank you for that hmm maybe they just thought Viney wasn't worth a top 3 draft pick.

Most likely. GWS were never going to bid with pick 1 anyway, GC was the only danger and we didn't trade with them at all so they didn't get much benefit from not bidding.

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

Aloha Gang, I posted this on the Carlton board, but I figured the info would be usefull to you also,

Emma Quayle was on SEN yesterday morning discussing the draft, she had some pretty interesting thoughts:

• GWS will select: (1) Whitfield, (2) Toumpas, (3) Menzel
• Grundy will slide as far as Richmond's selection (Pick #9).
• Wines a certainty to be picked up by Melbourne at Pick #4.
• Menzel is her pick to be the best player in the draft, has the ability to break games open and turn them on their head, and that will appeal to GWS, especially given their number of picks, they can afford to take a risk given his injuries.

... she's normally pretty dead on with her sources/record.

 

[Bazz_38]

does the possibility of Kurt Tippet going into the national draft affect who we take at 4? surely GWS will take him in top 3

 

[Logger]

does the possibility of Kurt Tippet going into the national draft affect who we take at 4? surely GWS will take him in top 3

Can't he just nominate for the Preseason draft with a huge price tag to scare everyone else off?

 

[DeeWong6996]

Can't he just nominate for the Preseason draft with a huge price tag to scare everyone else off?

Don't quote me on this but I think you can't just nominate for the Preseason but not the National.

 

[Demon JP]

Cheynee stiller training with the dees

 

[DeeWong6996]

does the possibility of Kurt Tippet going into the national draft affect who we take at 4? surely GWS will take him in top 3

He'll probably still be available at the Giants next pick if Brissy don't pick him.

 

[fushy]

Aloha Gang, I posted this on the Carlton board, but I figured the info would be usefull to you also,

Emma Quayle was on SEN yesterday morning discussing the draft, she had some pretty interesting thoughts:

• GWS will select: (1) Whitfield, (2) Toumpas, (3) Menzel
• Grundy will slide as far as Richmond's selection (Pick #9).
• Wines a certainty to be picked up by Melbourne at Pick #4.
• Menzel is her pick to be the best player in the draft, has the ability to break games open and turn them on their head, and that will appeal to GWS, especially given their number of picks, they can afford to take a risk given his injuries.

... she's normally pretty dead on with her sources/record.

Grundy would get picked by the doggies would he not? They got 2 picks and need a kpf.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Grundy is a ruck.

Heard that if Wines is gone the Dees might look at Josh Simpson @ pick 4.

 

[DeeWong6996]

Grundy would get picked by the doggies would he not? They got 2 picks and need a kpf.

I visited their board recently and they are more keen on a mid and Stringer.

 

[DeeWong6996]

Grundy is a ruck.

Heard that if Wines is gone the Dees might look at Josh Simpson @ pick 4.

Good player but surely that's too great a risk at 4?