Recruiting Mid Season Draft Thread - Welcome to Essendon Archie May, Lachlan Blakiston, Oskar Smartt & Liam McMahon!

[eth-dog]

I think im on the Oscar Smartt bandwagon (again)

thing that impresses me most is he doesn't give up and his competitiveness and hard edge are second to none.

His ability to play high up the ground or closer to goal and cause headaches in various ways shows he has tricks albeit if some doubt his actual athletic profile.

He's Jye Menzie but not as good. I like him but we already have Menzie and Gresham as that type of player.

If you could put Davey's pace into him I'd 100% agree fwiw

 

[Yoda_]

He's Jye Menzie but not as good. I like him but we already have Menzie and Gresham as that type of player.

If you could put Davey's pace into him I'd 100% agree fwiw

I think both Davey and Menzie are gone at season end. Smartt has a lot more power in his body to play midfield or forward. Something the other two only wish they could do

 

[Just A Tragic]

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly

 

[SpeckieMcVeigh]

Hoare is the personification of a VFL defender. Slow, can't kick for shit. Akuei can actually play on multiple types of forwards.

Sounds exactly like Laverde, so he already has the perfect mentor on the list!

 

[ydc55]

Thought it would be fun to have a realistic pick your 4 mid season draft picks. I don’t know if the club will pick 4 players but with jones, Langford, cox and Reid out for a chunk as well I think it is worth doing.
I think Tom Mcarthy cannot be used as he should go pick 1 and pick 2 at the latest.

My selections would be:
1sr Round Rod Ali- longer term selection but would go top 40 at the end of the year and gives us a defender who can run, kick and defend small or tall
2nd Round Liam McMahon athletic tall who can kick goals. Has filled out since last on an afl list and is a more rounded player in 2025
3rd Round Ajang Kuol Mun
4th Round Will Hoare
We would get a good long term prospect in Ali, an athletic ruckman in Mun and key position relief in McMahon and Hoare.
Smart very unlucky however Menzie, Davey and Lual perhaps as a forward probably need a chance before being delisted at the end of the year.
What would other people do?

 

[Yoda_]

Im not a fan of Liam McMahon. He is a slight and poor version of 2MP. A stay at home forward who kicks goals and thats it

 

[Snake Charmer]

Hoare makes a lot of sense now. Trained with the team over the summer, he wouldn’t be my pick from the vfl. I like Ryan Eyers from Werribee

 

[jdstorm]

I’d want to make 5 picks (injury list Cox)

I’d want 3 talls (1 def, 1 ruck, 1 forward)
Then 1midsize rebounding HB and 1 midsized balanced mid /wing

Assemble a VFL allstar team

 

[eth-dog]

I'd go a mid sized intercept player first pick. I kinda wanted McCarthy but he probably goes pick 1. Rod Ali fits the bill. Or perhaps Charlie McCartin as a key defender.

Second pick I'd go for the other one. A key defender if we go Ali or a medium if we go McCartin.

Third would be my ruck, I like Ajang Kuol Mun or Jordan Lukac. Both young enough to be long term players but old enough to play this year if necessary.

Last I'm not sure if we get a key forward. Archer May probably doesn't slip and I feel the other areas are a higher priority

 

[Yoda_]

Gus Pappal has more runs on the board than Rod Ali imho

 

[eDPS]

Gus Pappal has more runs on the board than Rod Ali imho

They are different players though, your taking Ali on his potential rather than his output so far

 

[ant555]

Gus Pappal has more runs on the board than Rod Ali imho

It is not about runs on the board with Ali. It is about long term potential and if he can give us something we may not get in the ND. Buy now while we can.

 

[Yoda_]

It is not about runs on the board with Ali. It is about long term potential and if he can give us something we may not get in the ND. Buy now while we can.

yeah, gathering that now

 

[Vindicater]

Keep repeating.

First pick - pick someone we believe will be here long term in any position. Best available young talent.

Second-forth pick - KPD, Ruck and running half back. 6 month contracts. Mature and able to play now.

 

[Zach Package]

The only ones I am assuming for sure won’t be available to us are McCarthy and May.

First pick: Sam Lewis/Rod Ali
Second pick: Charlie McCartin
Third pick: Floyd Burmeister
Fourth: Pass

I highly doubt we take 4

 

[Vindicater]

The only ones I am assuming for sure won’t be available to us are McCarthy and May.

First pick: Sam Lewis/Rod Ali
Second pick: Charlie McCartin
Third pick: Floyd Burmeister
Fourth: Pass

I highly doubt we take 4

I reckon we take four now with the added injuries from both the AFL and VFL game.

 

[Yoda_]

I reckon we take four now with the added injuries from both the AFL and VFL game.

agreed, if nothing more than padding out the VFL squad with talent

 

[Keystone agony]

Think the order will determine a fair bit as to how we pick

Whats the likely order?

 

[Zach Package]

I reckon we take four now with the added injuries from both the AFL and VFL game.

Reckon the more you take the more headaches you have at year’s end, we already have so much in flux with so many out of contract, unless we think they have decent scope to improve and are going to be a part of the list going forward I’d probably say more is less.

I think it’s not out of the question we only take two, let alone 3.

 

[Calthorpe14]

Reckon the more you take the more headaches you have at year’s end, we already have so much in flux with so many out of contract, unless we think they have decent scope to improve and are going to be a part of the list going forward I’d probably say more is less.

I think it’s not out of the question we only take two, let alone 3.

I’ve seen this argument floated, but the counter point to that is if we’re in a “talent acquisition” phase, doesn’t having 4 extra picks help that? If it causes headaches because weve got too many players we like, isn’t that a good thing?

 

[Zach Package]

I’ve seen this argument floated, but the counter point to that is if we’re in a “talent acquisition” phase, doesn’t having 4 extra picks help that? If it causes headaches because weve got too many players we like, isn’t that a good thing?

Good thing in theory but it puts a squeeze on and can force our hand.

Work backwards for a second, say take 4 and want to retain 3, then you’re committing to delisting 7 right now as an absolute minimum to be able to take 2 top 10 picks and the academy kids. And if I’m taking young players with scope to develop, I would hope we’d retain them to at least give them one pre season, it’s only fair.

From there if a trade target or free agent comes up, you’ve locked yourself out of pursuing that. It’s just adding layers of complexity and stripping us of a little bit of flexibility.

Keep in mind that I expect all 4 LTI players that these spots are for will very likely be on the list next year as well, it becomes a maths problem.

 

[Vindicater]

Good thing in theory but it puts a squeeze on and can force our hand.

Work backwards for a second, say take 4 and want to retain 3, then you’re committing to delisting 7 right now as an absolute minimum to be able to take 2 top 10 picks and the academy kids. And if I’m taking young players with scope to develop, I would hope we’d retain them to at least give them one pre season, it’s only fair.

From there if a trade target or free agent comes up, you’ve locked yourself out of pursuing that. It’s just adding layers of complexity and stripping us of a little bit of flexibility.

Keep in mind that I expect all 4 LTI players that these spots are for will very likely be on the list next year as well, it becomes a maths problem.

Take one keeper and three bodies to get us through the year.

If somebody jumps out the box then good for us.

 

[jdstorm]

There’s going to be a bunch of best 22/senior player turnover this offseason anyway. At least bringing in 4-5 prospects with hope of finding 1 best 22 player is forward progress

 

[Calthorpe14]

Good thing in theory but it puts a squeeze on and can force our hand.

Work backwards for a second, say take 4 and want to retain 3, then you’re committing to delisting 7 right now as an absolute minimum to be able to take 2 top 10 picks and the academy kids. And if I’m taking young players with scope to develop, I would hope we’d retain them to at least give them one pre season, it’s only fair.

From there if a trade target or free agent comes up, you’ve locked yourself out of pursuing that. It’s just adding layers of complexity and stripping us of a little bit of flexibility.

Keep in mind that I expect all 4 LTI players that these spots are for will very likely be on the list next year as well, it becomes a maths problem.

True, it could certainly cause some issues, although if you find 3 guys who you think can contribute long-term, it’s still a good problem to have.

Assuming the above is the way things work out and we’re looking at moving 7 on, it would cause a squeeze but you’d think that as of right now, Lual, Laverde, Davey all could be vulnerable, Goldstein & Cox could retire, and you’ve got 5 already, with maybe Saad, Shiel and Menzie being the next crop of vulnerable players on the list.

Feel like if we take 4, which I don’t think will happen as much as I would do it, there’s probably going to be a view that maybe a couple of them are short-term, veteran depth pieces. 3 feels like the number we’ll go with

 

[naraku]

So how has Kaine Baldwin been playing at Port?

But seriously, McCartin and Lewis for the first two picks. I'm not sure how many we take but those two would be very good additions.