Opinion Post here if disappointed with your clubs draft picks

Elvis

Team Captain
Oct 5, 2004
350
790
melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Miami Dolphins, LFC, NY Rangers
Is Oliver a bit chubby, and that's part of the reason he could dominate against skinny kids? Some of the pics I've seen aren't real flattering. I mean, he might just have a powerful build and turn into a Wines type player, and I would have been happy to get him at Dons but I'll be interested to see how he goes against big bodied men.
 

SloaneysDanger

Brownlow Medallist
Feb 26, 2014
20,878
11,411
Adelaide
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Adelaide Utd, Liverpool, Cavaliers
You are in a bit of trouble if Seedsman has to play on anyone. He's pretty bad 1v1 - has got a good top speed but his acceleration is ordinary and has very little body strength. Also question mark on his endurance imo (or his effort - take your pick).
I was only trying to explain how many players who are in that medium sized defender range. I don't want to see Seedsman 1 on 1 with anyone, I want to see him running with the ball off the half back flank or on the wing.
 

Deemented

Debutant
Oct 15, 2015
63
35
AFL Club
Melbourne
Is Oliver a bit chubby, and that's part of the reason he could dominate against skinny kids? Some of the pics I've seen aren't real flattering. I mean, he might just have a powerful build and turn into a Wines type player, and I would have been happy to get him at Dons but I'll be interested to see how he goes against big bodied men.
Finding out how they go against men is true for all kids coming out of the tac cup, not many have done it yet. High success rate for inside kids drafted in the top 10, hope he's another one
 
Apr 18, 2005
30,892
26,644
AFL Club
Melbourne
Frances can play everywhere and was a class act in the championships. We didn't see Oliver at them because he didn't make the cut.
Oliver won the MM and will absolutely dominate. We would not have picked him if he was no good. I was probably too hard on Francis, he was who I'd hoped we picked if we didn't pick Oliver. Happy.
 

Schraderbrau

Cancelled
Oct 7, 2014
5,371
6,647
AFL Club
Collingwood
Oliver won the MM and will absolutely dominate. We would not have picked him if he was no good. I was probably too hard on Francis, he was who I'd hoped we picked if we didn't pick Oliver. Happy.
1. I never said Oliver was bad, just that Francis is better. Even so, this seems to have struck a cord with Melbourne supporters who are perhaps sick of other supporters ripping into them for poor drafting.

2. lol at the Morrish Medal being any kind of indicator of making it at AFL level. Of the past winners only Heppell and Lenny Hayes stand out and there are a lot who weren't drafted, didn't make it or turned out to be just average AFL players.

3. "We would not have picked him if he was no good" - Very surprised to hear this from a Melbourne supporter in light of recent drafting history:(
 
It'd work the other way given he was an academy player since he was 12 or 13. If he's an academy player, you think he should be banned from the TAC Cup.

Either Way be Fine
 
Aug 13, 2006
14,778
13,879
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
Is Oliver a bit chubby, and that's part of the reason he could dominate against skinny kids? Some of the pics I've seen aren't real flattering. I mean, he might just have a powerful build and turn into a Wines type player, and I would have been happy to get him at Dons but I'll be interested to see how he goes against big bodied men.
A bit of fat doesn't usually help you play football, trust me, I've tried it. The photos look bad because he's got a baby face and is a pale red head. Remember what Ling used to look like playing? Never stopped him being a very very good player.
1. I never said Oliver was bad, just that Francis is better. Even so, this seems to have struck a cord with Melbourne supporters who are perhaps sick of other supporters ripping into them for poor drafting.

2. lol at the Morrish Medal being any kind of indicator of making it at AFL level. Of the past winners only Heppell and Lenny Hayes stand out and there are a lot who weren't drafted, didn't make it or turned out to be just average AFL players.

3. "We would not have picked him if he was no good" - Very surprised to hear this from a Melbourne supporter in light of recent drafting history:(
It's more the anger from some who keep saying he was a bolter and no good despite not looking at his form and appreciating that at worst he probably goes to Adelaide or Carlton's double picks and he was linked heavily to Essendon, if we took Parish by all reports they'd probably have taken Oliver. It's hardly like we plucked him from off the map.

Same goes with criticising our drafting. Prior to 2012 sure. Our stretch from 2008-2011 was devastating, one of the best things Mark Neeld did was recognise it and make changes. 2012 we used Todd Viney for a year, nailed 3 out of our 4 picks (Hogan, Viney, Kent..stuffed up Toumpas - who was crippled by development as well as being a bad pick - which we all know about) whilst we waited on Jason Taylor to become available. The last two years we've done very well both at the top of the draft and in later rounds/rookies.
 

Deemented

Debutant
Oct 15, 2015
63
35
AFL Club
Melbourne
1. I never said Oliver was bad, just that Francis is better. Even so, this seems to have struck a cord with Melbourne supporters who are perhaps sick of other supporters ripping into them for poor drafting.

2. lol at the Morrish Medal being any kind of indicator of making it at AFL level. Of the past winners only Heppell and Lenny Hayes stand out and there are a lot who weren't drafted, didn't make it or turned out to be just average AFL players.

3. "We would not have picked him if he was no good" - Very surprised to hear this from a Melbourne supporter in light of recent drafting history:(
How have the pies drafted in the last few years?
 

Schraderbrau

Cancelled
Oct 7, 2014
5,371
6,647
AFL Club
Collingwood
A bit of fat doesn't usually help you play football, trust me, I've tried it. The photos look bad because he's got a baby face and is a pale red head. Remember what Ling used to look like playing? Never stopped him being a very very good player.
It's more the anger from some who keep saying he was a bolter and no good despite not looking at his form and appreciating that at worst he probably goes to Adelaide or Carlton's double picks and he was linked heavily to Essendon, if we took Parish by all reports they'd probably have taken Oliver. It's hardly like we plucked him from off the map.

Same goes with criticising our drafting. Prior to 2012 sure. Our stretch from 2008-2011 was devastating, one of the best things Mark Neeld did was recognise it and make changes. 2012 we used Todd Viney for a year, nailed 3 out of our 4 picks (Hogan, Viney, Kent..stuffed up Toumpas - who was crippled by development as well as being a bad pick - which we all know about) whilst we waited on Jason Taylor to become available. The last two years we've done very well both at the top of the draft and in later rounds/rookies.
I don't disagree with any of this
 
Different Sports and International Ones as well
Hahahaha.

You're saying that they can't be in the GWS academy coz they're playing in a league outside of the zone.

NBA players play in a league outside of Australia. Same with non A-League. But they can play in the side based on where their from.

Yet kids from NSW can't?

Yeah right. Good work mate.
 

Schraderbrau

Cancelled
Oct 7, 2014
5,371
6,647
AFL Club
Collingwood
How have the pies drafted in the last few years?
Pretty well imo. I think most would view our drafting and development set up as in the better handful in the comp over the last decade or so. Where we need to improve is in trading which has been below average imo

Last season 3/4 draftees - DeGoey, Moore & Maynard were in our best 22 by the end of the season. We also rookied Mason Cox whose improvement has been staggering.

In 2013 - Scharenberg and Freeman have had no luck with injury so it's difficult to draw a conclusion in that respect. We also drafted Langdon and Marsh with picks in the 60's and 70's and are viewed internally as long term best 22. We also rookied Jack Frost who, whilst very blue collar, has been a good pick yp

In 2012 we took Grundy, Kennedy and Broomhead with 17,18 and 19. Kennedy didn't work out but Grundy and Broomhead are both best 22 when fit (Broomhead has missed games through injury, not form. He is a class act imo). Ramsay was best 22 this season until getting injured.
 

Deemented

Debutant
Oct 15, 2015
63
35
AFL Club
Melbourne
Pretty well imo. I think most would view our drafting and development set up as in the better handful in the comp over the last decade or so. Where we need to improve is in trading which has been below average imo

Last season 3/4 draftees - DeGoey, Moore & Maynard were in our best 22 by the end of the season. We also rookied Mason Cox whose improvement has been staggering.

In 2013 - Scharenberg and Freeman have had no luck with injury so it's difficult to draw a conclusion in that respect. We also drafted Langdon and Marsh with picks in the 60's and 70's and are viewed internally as long term best 22. We also rookied Jack Frost who, whilst very blue collar, has been a good pick yp

In 2012 we took Grundy, Kennedy and Broomhead with 17,18 and 19. Kennedy didn't work out but Grundy and Broomhead are both best 22 when fit (Broomhead has missed games through injury, not form. He is a class act imo). Ramsay was best 22 this season until getting injured.
So ordinary then, there's a good reason the pies are where they are I terms of ladder position, have a look at the Dee's last four drafts compared to the pies and let me knows how you think did best
 

Breggsy

Debutant
Sep 11, 2012
65
53
AFL Club
Melbourne
Not overly excited at the dees selections considering we gave up next years first. I've never seen Oliver play but it seems like a huge stretch at 3. Who was the last high pick who didn't play champs?
 
Aug 13, 2006
14,778
13,879
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
We have Lever, Otten, Hampton, van Berlo, Laird, Smith, Henderson, Cheney, Shaw, Seedsman and Kelly and ALL are capable of playing as a medium sized defender. Some of them are spuds but that's not the point. The point is bringing NEEDS into the club and a 187cm medium sized defender is not a need for our club right now.
Otten - injured, slow. Shaw - meh. Cheney - not long for AFL, slow. Van Berlo - disciplined, but slow, not a great one on one defender deep. I'm not sure how long those 4 have left at AFL level

Hampton, Seedsman, Henderson - all rebounding defenders/wingman, you aren't putting them on a good medium forward, they'll get carved up. Probably room for 1 or 2 of them in the same backline. I expect Seedsman to play more wing if he'll ever settle at AFL.

Laird and Smith - good options, but needed to play attacking half back or midfield surely? Can't waste them deep.

Kelly - sure. But I think he plays better tall, not sure he's athletic enough to stop medium or smalls. I'd have him as a 3rd tall despite being undersized
Lever - yes. But do you want Jake Lever sitting in a back pocket on Wingard or Breust when he could be patrolling CHB intercept marking and positioning himself to control the backline?

No doubt you might have had more important needs - a gun inside mid for one, some extra talls another, but personally I still think a lock down medium defender wasn't a bad idea. My question is who would you have wanted more? The sure fire inside mids were gone. After your picks is was mainly flankers, the odd tall and smaller running mids like Lovell, Gresham. Mathieson and Dunkley the only bigger mids. I don't think Kieran Collins or Ben McKay were good fits, your coach has come from Hawthorn and West Coast were the game plan is zone defense with mobile key defenders who intercept and rebound, not big one on one types. The obvious choice given you bid on Himmelberg was Burton, but if his knee was a no call from your medics then so be it.
 
Aug 13, 2006
14,778
13,879
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
Not overly excited at the dees selections considering we gave up next years first. I've never seen Oliver play but it seems like a huge stretch at 3. Who was the last high pick who didn't play champs?
Obviously injury related but no (or limited) champs this year (some played last year) for Mills, Kennedy, Burton and Weideman. The issue with Oliver is more he didn't get picked than not playing.

But if they held the champs at the end of the year not the middle he would've been in the first few picked for Vic Country. He finished the year with 5 games never outside the best 2 on the ground for his team.

The counter to the champs argument was that he played 2 games for Richmond in the VFL and impressed.
 

Schraderbrau

Cancelled
Oct 7, 2014
5,371
6,647
AFL Club
Collingwood
So ordinary then, there's a good reason the pies are where they are I terms of ladder position, have a look at the Dee's last four drafts compared to the pies and let me knows how you think did best
Honestly, if we had access to the picks that Melbourne had we probably would have won the last 3 premierships. The reason why we are in the position we are now is because we've been going through a rebuild and regenerating the list. Most people believe that our rebuild hit its lowest point this season and we will now be moving back up the ladder. That is in stark contrast to a decade of rebuilding that Melbourne has undertaking for no success.

The difference between our clubs can be reduced to this - to Collingwood finishing 10th is our biggest failure for almost a decade - to Melbourne finishing 10th would be their biggest success in that same period. It is therefore no surprise that in spite of all the draft picks Melbourne has harvested through tanking or just being terrible (take your pick), Collingwood is still a significant favorite in the betting markets to finish higher on the ladder than Melbourne in 2016. The fact that this is the case in a system intended to aid clubs that finish on the bottom is a disgrace and something Melbourne ought be ashamed of.
 
So ordinary then, there's a good reason the pies are where they are I terms of ladder position, have a look at the Dee's last four drafts compared to the pies and let me knows how you think did best

Collingwood by a Mile. Melbourne are steal no where near the Finals and Still bit away
 

Deemented

Debutant
Oct 15, 2015
63
35
AFL Club
Melbourne
Honestly, if we had access to the picks that Melbourne had we probably would have won the last 3 premierships. The reason why we are in the position we are now is because we've been going through a rebuild and regenerating the list. Most people believe that our rebuild hit its lowest point this season and we will now be moving back up the ladder. That is in stark contrast to a decade of rebuilding that Melbourne has undertaking for no success.

The difference between our clubs can be reduced to this - to Collingwood finishing 10th is our biggest failure for almost a decade - to Melbourne finishing 10th would be their biggest success in that same period. It is therefore no surprise that in spite of all the draft picks Melbourne has harvested through tanking or just being terrible (take your pick), Collingwood is still a significant favorite in the betting markets to finish higher on the ladder than Melbourne in 2016. The fact that this is the case in a system intended to aid clubs that finish on the bottom is a disgrace and something Melbourne ought be ashamed of.
None of what you just wrote takes away from the pies drafting failures of recent and the fact that they are a middle of the road club. If go out of your way to wind up a set of supporters don't get all sulky when your clubs many recent wrong turns are pointed out
 
Apr 29, 2008
1,303
888
Epping
AFL Club
Essendon
I think Oliver will be good. I wanted the Bombers to draft him.

I saw an interview where he said one of the recruiter asked him whether he doesn't mind smashing meat pies, because they saw him eating one. He didn't have a memory of it, but he thinks it could have been a chicken burger. That was quite funny.
 
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