Player Watch Sid Draper

[Golumless]

Dropping Sholl means we are short on outside players so we'd have to rotate some of our best mids (Dawson or Soligo) into that position

I don't see the point in doing that when we could just drop Crouch

Sholl really isn't the worst shout to drop at this juncture. Not only do you fit in Draper that way as a mid-forward, but you have a path to get Curtin out of the forward line. It's going to be a long and disappointing campaign for Dan if he's stuck as a fourth tall.

A very unlucky drop seeing Lachie was good in 2024, but them the breaks when talent comes into the squad.

 

[Scorpus]

In a perfect world the obvious answer is Laird.

We end up with the same issue.

We'd have to drop Dawson out of the midfield to defense. Or rotate Cumming back, then bring Dawson or Soligo onto the wing. Both are best in the middle.

 

[Scorpus]

Sholl really isn't the worst shout to drop at this juncture. Not only do you fit in Draper that way but you have a path to get Curtin out of the forward line. It's going to be a long and disappointing campaign for Dan if he's stuck as a fourth tall.

So Sholl out, Curtin up to the wing, then Draper out of position as a forward? Or are we playing one of the other mids as a forward?

 

[Danger in Texas]

So we're playing Draper as a forward and dropping one of our most promising juniors to fit him in?

I really don’t think it’s as black and white as that

Draper could easily play a bit of time at wing or half-forward. So could guys like Dawson (who rested forward quite a bit tonight), Rankine, Peatling. In other words, the ‘7th forward’ could be a rotation of guys

Curtin as sub wouldn’t be a bad thing IMO. Provided he isn’t just brought on mid-way through the 4th of course, try and have him out there for half the game. If he looks too good for the role, send down our worst performing player to sub for the next week

 

[Scorpus]

Who else you dropping and put your Nicks hat on.

With Curtin up forward we have 4 talls, that’s most probably one too many. Don’t get me wrong I’d play him and find someone else.

We can rotate a mid through the half forward line. Draper just has to play, he was that impressive, to not play him or make him sub in his first game at AO would be up there with the dumbest things Nicks has done.

I'm dropping Crouch.

With my Nicks hat on Draper is the sub

 

[Eddie Murphy]

We end up with the same issue.

We'd have to drop Dawson out of the midfield to defense. Or rotate Cumming back, then bring Dawson or Soligo onto the wing. Both are best in the middle.

We already seem to be rotating Dawson midfield and forward. IMO it suits both him and our team a lot more if we have him rotating at half back rather than deep forward. A slot opens up quite nicely if Laird isn’t there.

 

[TBM]

I'm picking Draper over Crouch and have thought this way since we drafted him

I see our primary midfield rotation as Dawson, Rankine, Soligo, Peatling and a 5th player. Right now, Nicks is preferring Crouch as that 5th. I'm playing Draper. I don't see how we fit all six.

Hard to believe 18 months ago our group was Laird-Sloane-Keays with Crouch in the SANFL

 

[Danger in Texas]

CBAs for mids looked like this tonight

Rankine - 21
Crouch - 18
Dawson - 16
Soligo - 13
Peatling - 13
Draper - 12

I think this is fine

 

[Scorpus]

I really don’t think it’s as black and white as that

Draper could easily play a bit of time at wing or half-forward. So could guys like Dawson (who rested forward quite a bit tonight), Rankine, Peatling. In other words, the ‘7th forward’ could be a rotation of guys

Curtin as sub wouldn’t be a bad thing IMO. Provided he isn’t just brought on mid-way through the 4th of course, try and have him out there for half the game. If he looks too good for the role, send down our worst performing player to sub for the next week

I'm looking at it this way.

Which combination is better?

Dawson, Rankine and Soligo primarily in the midfield which is their best position. Curtin plays and develops. Draper in and plays midfield. Some rotation into other roles. Retain two wings with Sholl and Cumming. Crouch eliminated

Or

Dawson, Soligo, Rankine, Peatling reduced midfield time to rotate wing or forward. Crouch in. Draper in and rotates into various roles. Either a wing is eliminated or Curtin is eliminated to the sub role.

I think the first option keeps our best players in their best positions for longer where they are more likely to have an influence

 

[Scorpus]

CBAs for mids looked like this tonight

Rankine - 21
Crouch - 18
Dawson - 16
Soligo - 13
Peatling - 13
Draper - 12

I think this is fine

Sure but in the second half we rotated 23 players which you can't do in a normal match

 

[TBM]

CBAs for mids looked like this tonight

Rankine - 21
Crouch - 18
Dawson - 16
Soligo - 13
Peatling - 13
Draper - 12

I think this is fine

Given Draper had 39% TOG (after coming on in Q3) that’s a good hit rate.

It also helps given he’s directly assisting a few goals himself, he’ll get more CBAs as a result!

 

[cleanhands]

CBAs for mids looked like this tonight

Rankine - 21
Crouch - 18
Dawson - 16
Soligo - 13
Peatling - 13
Draper - 12

I think this is fine

I’m happy to reduce Rankines time

 

[Danger in Texas]

I'm looking at it this way.

Which combination is better?

Dawson, Rankine and Soligo primarily in the midfield which is their best position. Curtin plays and develops. Draper in and plays midfield. Some rotation into other roles. Retain two wings with Sholl and Cumming. Crouch eliminated

Or

Dawson, Soligo, Rankine, Peatling reduced midfield time. Crouch in. Draper in and rotates into various roles. Either a wing is eliminated or Curtin is eliminated to the sub role.

I think the first option keeps our best players in their best positions for longer where they are more likely to have an influence

I get it, but I think guys like Dawson, Rankine, Soligo, Peatling etc just make things work wherever they play on the ground. And Crouch is still a very useful player to have in there, his current level of performance doesn’t give ‘fringe 22’ vibes

Things could change over the course of the season, but the mid rotation we had tonight worked, I’d be happy to roll with that R1

 

[Danger in Texas]

Sure but in the second half we rotated 23 players which you can't do in a normal match

I don’t think going from 23 to 22 would really put the team balance out of sync that much, if at all

 

[Carn The Texan]

It's so wild watching Draper come in and instantly make 90% of the team look amateur. Not playing him would be worse than the Soligo sub call last year.

 

[Thylacinus]

I’m happy to reduce Rankines time

I agree. Rankine is a real weapon in the middle, but up forward also. Draper's emergence as well as the drafting of the likes of Peatling enables us to be-less Rankine-centric and to spread the load. This creates more flexibility and more headaches for opposition coaches!

 

[Golumless]

So Sholl out, Curtin up to the wing, then Draper out of position as a forward? Or are we playing one of the other mids as a forward?

Draper/Peatling/Rankine rotates forwards. Sounds like a rather solid solution to both maintaining a strong best 22 and giving Draper/Curtin space to build a solid campaign.

If Draper is that genuine midfield talent we think he is, he'll do a solid job in the role. Especially with that leg speed.

 

[Scorpus]

I get it, but I think guys like Dawson, Rankine, Soligo, Peatling etc just make things work wherever they play on the ground. And Crouch is still a very useful player to have in there, his current level of performance doesn’t give ‘fringe 22’ vibes

Things could change over the course of the season, but the mid rotation we had tonight worked, I’d be happy to roll with that R1

Maybe. I think Soligo for example is clearly best as an inside player and I would play him over Crouch in that role. I think he is much less effective as a wing. Peatling also screams inside player with his contest work, and I would also play him over Crouch in that role. Choosing to rotate those guys out just to keep the lower quality player in is a bit weird to me.

Dawson is not overly effective as a forward in my opinion and his rotation should be behind the ball if anything. Peatling could maybe play wing or forward but more as a brief pinch hit.

Obviously Rankine can play forward and is a true dual role player.

If anyone it should be Crouch rotating out of the midfield to other roles to accommodate Draper but he can't because he is one dimensional

I don’t think going from 23 to 22 would really put the team balance out of sync that much, if at all

Except that we have to drop a player for it to work in the AFL

Draper/Peatling rotates forwards. Sounds like a rather solid solution to both maintaining a strong best 22 and giving Draper/Curtin space to perform well.

If Draper is that genuine midfield talent we think he is, he'll do a solid job in the role.

Does Curtin have the aerobic capacity to play as a full time wing in his second year? It's a very demanding role. I think if we do this he would still have to rotate forward for a bit which still means dragging an inside mid to the wing.

 

[Crow till I die]

Okay so where do all the players fit? Here is the prototype Nicks team that played today with the missing players added back

B Worrell - Murray - Michalanney
HB Hinge - Keane - Laird

R O'Brien - Dawson - Rankine
C Cumming - Crouch - Sholl

HF Rachele - Fogarty - Neal-Bullen
F Walker - Thilthorpe - Keays

I Peatling - Soligo - Curtin - Milera/Nankervis

Who drops out to rotate Draper in?

Murphy

 

[cmndstab]

Gee, he was impressive in his one half of gametime tonight. Reckon he just played his way into the round 1 side! You couldn't ignore that performance, surely?

Not only was his performance excellent, but he also brings something really unique to our side. A midfield with some dash and dare, exactly what we've been crying out for a decade or more.

 

[MrBarry]

CBAs for mids looked like this tonight

Rankine - 21
Crouch - 18
Dawson - 16
Soligo - 13
Peatling - 13
Draper - 12

I think this is fine

Rankine less imo.

 

[MrBarry]

Gee, he was impressive in his one half of gametime tonight. Reckon he just played his way into the round 1 side! You couldn't ignore that performance, surely?

Not only was his performance excellent, but he also brings something really unique to our side. A midfield with some dash and dare, exactly what we've been crying out for a decade or more.

Rankine and Draper is extremely exciting.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Rankine less imo.

Yeah probably fair. I’d give maybe a couple more to each of Soli and Peatling

 

[dplggr47]

Gee, he was impressive in his one half of gametime tonight. Reckon he just played his way into the round 1 side! You couldn't ignore that performance, surely?

Not only was his performance excellent, but he also brings something really unique to our side. A midfield with some dash and dare, exactly what we've been crying out for a decade or more.

hopefully not as sub though.

 

[GreyCrow]

Isnt it a nice problem to have