Draft Expert PMBangers 2025 Draft Thread

[briztoon]

PMBangers based on your thoughts how many selections are u predicting will occur. A lot seem to be taken up by academies. I thought clubs had to make at least 3 selections?

Lions likely to take one or two. Annable obviously, then we might take a second pick, or just upgrade two rookies, and draft a couple of kids in the rookie draft.

After Annable, our next most impressive academy kid has been over ager, Fergus McFadyen.

 

[The_General#1]

Lions likely to take one or two. Annable obviously, then we might take a second pick, or just upgrade two rookies, and draft a couple of kids in the rookie draft.

After Annable, our next most impressive academy kid has been over ager, Fergus McFadyen.

Could be a good draft for players currently on a rookie list.

 

[PMBangers]

Lions likely to take one or two. Annable obviously, then we might take a second pick, or just upgrade two rookies, and draft a couple of kids in the rookie draft.

After Annable, our next most impressive academy kid has been over ager, Fergus McFadyen.

Waller well worth a look, would be surprised if Brissy passed

 

[briztoon]

Waller well worth a look, would be surprised if Brissy passed

Do you believe another team will bid on Waller?

Not sure if we're willing to carry 4.5 rucks on our list.

 

[PMBangers]

Do you believe another team will bid on Waller?

Not sure if we're willing to carry 4.5 rucks on our list.

I think after CDT is taken he's probably the only one that projects to be more Ruck than Forward, so it wouldn't shock me to see someone bid

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Not in my time following the draft closely to be honest, even the poor ones have had good top ends for the most part.

What a year for West Coast to have pick 1 and perhaps pick 2.

 

[Polkinghorne]

What a year for West Coast to have pick 1 and perhaps pick 2.

WC need to bid on Patterson, then take Duursma - he’s a Jet

 

[GWS Goose]

What a year for West Coast to have pick 1 and perhaps pick 2.

there will be at least 2 good players for them to pick you'd think

 

[PMBangers]

I am being too pessimistic in a way, there's some nice players in this draft but for the most part there isn't many that project to be top enders at AFL level

 

[Polkinghorne]

Duursma, Lindsay, Sharp, Barker, uwland, Annable, Patterson, Onley, LeRay, Dean, Cumming will all be top liners

 

[PMBangers]

Duursma, Lindsay, Sharp, Barker, uwland, Annable, Patterson, Onley, LeRay, Dean, Cumming will all be top liners

Is this said with the same confidence as guys like Lalor, Smith, FOS, etc. from last year? This group has potential but a lot more red flags/ question marks than most other top ends

 

[Shueygod]

Is this said with the same confidence as guys like Lalor, Smith, FOS, etc. from last year? This group has potential but a lot more red flags/ question marks than most other top ends

Did last years top 10 not have a ton of question marks?

Feel like I remember Lalor having injury/midfield ability/champs production, Smith Damage/size and FOS champs production/injury/accumulating questions, Langford speed etc.

Does Duursma/Sharp for example really have more red flags than the above?

Obviously Sharp has questions around his athleticism, but is that a bigger red flag than Smiths?

 

[Polkinghorne]

Did last years top 10 not have a ton of question marks?

Feel like I remember Lalor having injury/midfield ability/champs production, Smith Damage/size and FOS champs production/injury/accumulating questions, Langford speed etc.

Does Duursma/Sharp for example really have more red flags than the above?

Obviously Sharp has questions around his athleticism, but is that a bigger red flag than Smiths?

Agree Shueyy, theres ? , but this years lot will Suprise, there are some guns in there and they will come along quickly once they're in an AFL system

 

[PMBangers]

Did last years top 10 not have a ton of question marks?

Feel like I remember Lalor having injury/midfield ability/champs production, Smith Damage/size and FOS champs production/injury/accumulating questions, Langford speed etc.

Does Duursma/Sharp for example really have more red flags than the above?

Obviously Sharp has questions around his athleticism, but is that a bigger red flag than Smiths?

Just from my view point i wasn't concerned about my top 7-8 in the same way last year but that might’ve just been me, I'm generally not too stressed about injuries unless it's concussion related or one that is traditionally difficult to come back from like a navicular.

Even the footy stuff from last year's group wasn't as bad, someone with elite traits that isn't a huge possession getter still has a role at the next level that they'll be able to do like Lalor and FOS, Smith had/ has traits that would hold up as well in other roles, even if his damage wasn't seen as great as an inside mid.

To use Sharp as an example, he probably doesn't have the athleticism or ball use to play in another role effectively. I think he's got enough to be an AFL mid personally but I'm not convinced he's an A grader at his best

 

[M Malice]

What is the opposite of a Super Draft? Low Grade/Abysmal/Lousy Draft?

 

[Chris25]

What is the opposite of a Super Draft?

A North Melbourne draft.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Just from my view point i wasn't concerned about my top 7-8 in the same way last year but that might’ve just been me, I'm generally not too stressed about injuries unless it's concussion related or one that is traditionally difficult to come back from like a navicular.

Even the footy stuff from last year's group wasn't as bad, someone with elite traits that isn't a huge possession getter still has a role at the next level that they'll be able to do like Lalor and FOS, Smith had/ has traits that would hold up as well in other roles, even if his damage wasn't seen as great as an inside mid.

To use Sharp as an example, he probably doesn't have the athleticism or ball use to play in another role effectively. I think he's got enough to be an AFL mid personally but I'm not convinced he's an A grader at his best

I know its 1 year in but the top 10 last year are hardly killing it...

People would think the top 10 last year was some 2003 shit or something. It just wasnt. Infact last years draft is tracking pretty poorly IMHO. In the first season 2023 draft was MUCH better then the 2024 class showed in its first year and by a absolute mile too

 

[GWS Goose]

I know its 1 year in but the top 10 last year are hardly killing it...

People would think the top 10 last year was some 2003 shit or something. It just wasnt. Infact last years draft is tracking pretty poorly IMHO. In the first season 2023 draft was MUCH better then the 2024 class showed in its first year and by a absolute mile too

very early days, but there is plenty of players making a mark. A few early draftees that were supposed to hit the ground running were injured.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

very early days, but there is plenty of players making a mark. A few early draftees that were supposed to hit the ground running were injured.

Such as? Reid, Ashcroft and Tauru are the only ones truly contributing. Rest just making up the bench or just getting games because they are young only

 

[GWS Goose]

Such as? Reid, Ashcroft and Tauru are the only ones truly contributing. Rest just making up the bench or just getting games because they are young only

Lindsay & Langford at Melbourne have been good. I like quite a few of the Richmond draft picks Lalor looks great (obviously injury interrupted), Faull, Trainor and Armstrong have shown really good signs for first year talls.
Kako has been good and looks like a good player.
From a Giants point of view Angove was looking like a talent pre-injury.
I reckon the draft is looking pretty strong.
We wont know for at least a few years how good.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Lindsay & Langford at Melbourne have been good. I like quite a few of the Richmond draft picks Lalor looks great (obviously injury interrupted), Faull, Trainor and Armstrong have shown really good signs for first year talls.
Kako has been good and looks like a good player.
From a Giants point of view Angove was looking like a talent pre-injury.
I reckon the draft is looking pretty strong.
We wont know for at least a few years how good.

Linday is borderline best 22 and only because he is in a botom 4 team. Langford looked just ok. Richmond draft picks just look bang average. Take the numbers away from when they were selected and no one is batting a eyelid. Kako is a small forward only.

Just a overrated draft class I think.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Not sure why the LOLS. Only 7 of last years draft have got a Rising Star nomination and the top 7 in Rising Star odds only has 2 players from the 2024 years draft in it.

2023 and 2024 nominations compared to 2025 is a good comparison for sure

 

[PMBangers]

Not sure why the LOLS. Only 7 of last years draft have got a Rising Star nomination and the top 7 in Rising Star odds only has 2 players from the 2024 years draft in it.

2023 and 2024 nominations compared to 2025 is a good comparison for sure

I just find judging a draft class definitively after 1 season a bit absurd, it'd be like declaring Lewis Taylor the best of the 2013 class in 2014 because he won the Rising Star, think it takes 4-5 years before we can start talking with a level of certainty

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Good comparison is to draw a line of players

FB: Roberts, Draper, Archer
HB: Humphries, ??? , Evans
C: Dempsey, Reid, McKercher
HF: Lohmann, Darcy, Jones
FF: Caddy, Morris, Watson
R: ??? , Wardlaw, Graham
I/C: Gallagher, Wilson, Windsor, Harrison, Nankervis, Thomas, Dear

to 2025 of

FB: FOS, O'Sullivan, Roberts
HB: Dewar, Trainor, ???
C: Lindsay, Langford, Curtin
HF: Reid, Caddy, Lalor
FF: Moir, Clarke, Kako
R: ??? Allan, L.Ashcroft
I/C: Hall, Lord, Garcia

Difference is night and day.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

I just find judging a draft class definitively after 1 season a bit absurd, it'd be like declaring Lewis Taylor the best of the 2013 class in 2014 because he won the Rising Star, think it takes 4-5 years before we can start talking with a level of certainty

Arnt you judging the draft class before it even exists yet . I think its a prediction more then a fact and its a fairly fair prediction based on evidence so far