Player Watch Sid Draper

[Mostyn]

Agreed. The SANFL team should be only about getting the players playing our game style, trying them in new positions, and building up a fitness base if required.
It doesnt make a player better. Theres a reason alot of new draft picks go straight into teams and play the year out.
You play your talent.
They develop quicker and better playing in the AFL than the SANFL.

Draper didnt deserve to be dropped, and for some reason his papers appear to be stamped for the rest of the year.

Dowling is also a good player who should be in the team. At the moment, Draper or Dowling aren't going to give us less than Jones or Berry.

Are you genuinely saying that successful clubs don't utilise the lower leagues to develop players? Sydney haven't? Geelong?

Of course there will be some that slot straight in. Fantastic.

But there will be others with a much greater upside who need to be developed further and work on their weaknesses in the VFL, WAFL or SANFL. Who develop physically or adapt to playing against men in a league that isn't as fast as the elite level.

Curtin is a great talent, and he definitely needed time in the SANFL. Many others have as well.

I feel like I'm making the most obvious point in the world, surely.

 

[Mostyn]

Curtin is a 197cm Unicorn.

Draper is a speedy midfielder who looked a million bucks in the preseason against Brisbane.

It took Curtin 22 games before his breakout game against Richmond. Imagine if we played Sid the first 20 games - maybe we would have a highly talented pick 4 ready to take on the finals.

I mean it worked with Simon Goodwin - why couldn't it have worked with Sid.

Draper is an athletic beast with issues around decision making and game sense. This translates into disposal issues and turnovers.

He has teething issues that he's working through. He'll be fantastic next year - hell, I really hope they select him now. But it hasn't damaged his development being in the SANFL, where he can work on things.

 

[Mostyn]

What should he be doing at that level to justify a call up?

Curtin played 12 games in the SANFL in 2024 and averaged 18 disposals yet has been given the unlimited opportunities in 2025 (and rightly so) and we are now reaping the benefits.

SANFL stats should have nothing to do with who we are selecting at AFL level.

James Rowe, Lachlan Murphy, and Burgess all dominate at SANFL level. That dont mean shit.

You're missing the point completely on Curtin.

He needed his first season to be mostly in the SANFL to get him ready for this yet, when they have persevered, knowing that it was about to click. He's done the work.

Draper is doing the work. It's completely fine.

 

[Cleric]

Are you genuinely saying that successful clubs don't utilise the lower leagues to develop players? Sydney haven't? Geelong?

Of course there will be some that slot straight in. Fantastic.

But there will be others with a much greater upside who need to be developed further and work on their weaknesses in the VFL, WAFL or SANFL. Who develop physically or adapt to playing against men in a league that isn't as fast as the elite level.

Curtin is a great talent, and he definitely needed time in the SANFL. Many others have as well.

I feel like I'm making the most obvious point in the world, surely.

You arnt developing them in the sence of teaching them how to kick the ball or mark it, you are teaching them team structure, running patterns, and plays. They are learning to work within the team.
Some draftees come in straight away due to need or talent.
Draper isn't a tall forward, defender or ruck than needs to bulk up, strengthen up to be able to physically compete with the strength of the players who will be manning up on him.

He has already shown he can play at the level at the beginning of the year. He isnt getting better playing in the SANFL.

 

[Alwaysacrow]

If this were 2020 or 2021 I'd definitely be in the camp of putting Draper straight in to the AFL side. However we're actually competing for a flag this time. Personally I've got no issues with him learning his craft in the 2nds.
Dowling is ahead of him at this stage IMO but given the clouds over Laird and Peatling this week I wouldn't be against him being sub. Certainly a better option than Jones; he's done I'd say.

 

[GreyCrow]

Im confused - pick 4 should be playing SANFL to work on stuff

But pick 2 can play 14 games in his first year and everyone says it was the right thing to do

Is 3 the cutoff?????

 

[MrBarry]

If this were 2020 or 2021 I'd definitely be in the camp of putting Draper straight in to the AFL side. However we're actually competing for a flag this time. Personally I've got no issues with him learning his craft in the 2nds.
Dowling is ahead of him at this stage IMO but given the clouds over Laird and Peatling this week I wouldn't be against him being sub. Certainly a better option than Jones; he's done I'd say.

The issue is the players who have been getting games ahead of him, shouldn't be.

 

[Alwaysacrow]

The issue is the players who have been getting games ahead of him, shouldn't be.

Agreed. Jones, never again unless we are devestated with injuries. Murphy omg don't get me started....and probably a few others that I can't think of at the moment.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Agreed. Jones, never again unless we are devestated with injuries. Murphy omg don't get me started....and probably a few others that I can't think of at the moment.

Problem is, our midfielders, where we’d ideally want Draper to be playing, haven’t really had any injuries this year. Yeah Murphy absolutely shouldn’t be an option over him in a vacuum, but we don’t really want Draper playing HFF at this stage

I’m comfortable having him in the SANFL if it means his midfield craft/decision making is better in the long run, because of it

 

[mcleod at 50 lines it up]

Considering Laird has been a 23.1 disposal/6.1 marks/6.3 intercept/5.7 ground ball get player this year (all top 10% in comp for small defenders outside of disposals), Draper would have been a serious downgrade. Laird being as good as he is part of why we've been bulletproof in defense. There will be a time to replace Rory, but that falls to Max Michaelanney (and it's the role that'll likely turn Max into an elite defender).

The position for Sid was in the forward line this year. Especially as we've shown that we've been able to win without any production from our bottom forwards.

Bit tougher to get a kick in the forward line. I agree laird has been decent but we don't know if some of our young talent could have developed because they never got a shot at it. Blighty had edwards, goodwin, mcleod, roo down there, our equivalent might have been curtin, draper and taylor. NWM spend half of this season on a hbf, so it's a great developing position. We kept the mature players as nicks was coaching for his job so you can understand why, but leaves us in round 22 not really sure what we've got which is a shame.

 

[Interloperer]

Draper reminds me of watching Lance Picioane play for Adelaide. Where he seemed like the player with the most exciting potential in the squad for the first quarter he played. And beyond that not much of anything.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Draper reminds me of watching Lance Picioane play for Adelaide. Where he seemed like the player with the most exciting potential in the squad for the first quarter he played. And beyond that not much of anything.

I would suggest Nicks takes awhile to warm up to some players before giving them game time. We have midfield depth with the new recruits and I guess Draper just couldnt form part of it. Hopefully he comes alone with another pre season.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Are you genuinely saying that successful clubs don't utilise the lower leagues to develop players? Sydney haven't? Geelong?

Of course there will be some that slot straight in. Fantastic.

But there will be others with a much greater upside who need to be developed further and work on their weaknesses in the VFL, WAFL or SANFL. Who develop physically or adapt to playing against men in a league that isn't as fast as the elite level.

Curtin is a great talent, and he definitely needed time in the SANFL. Many others have as well.

I feel like I'm making the most obvious point in the world, surely.

We know what the other teams do.

2025 AFL Rising Stars Total Time On Ground % Leaders

2025 AFL Rising Stars Total Time On Ground % Leaders.

www.footywire.com

Draper is now 56th.

Other teams do not adopt any practice that suggests they think best practice is to develop elite high end draft picks in the reserves.

 

[Southerntakeover]

You're missing the point completely on Curtin.

He needed his first season to be mostly in the SANFL to get him ready for this yet, when they have persevered, knowing that it was about to click. He's done the work.

Draper is doing the work. It's completely fine.

Curtin succeeding does not prove its because of what we did last year.

He's an immensely talented unicorn, who very predictably improved with game experience and continues to do so.

Meanwhile we had club defenders claiming he wasn't up to it, and people piling shit on him demanding his dropping again right up until he exploded. Kind of the same way people are now hamming up the Draper criticisms to justify our treatment of him. The same way they did it to Thilthorpe, the same way they did it to Fogarty, the same way they did it to.... etc.

There's no sensible reason to think he wouldn't be even further along had we given him the extra games last year. Are we to believe that leaving him as sub for all but six minutes was actually the best way to develop him?

Proof of success can't just be that we're not completely ruining these guys.

 

[Mostyn]

You arnt developing them in the sence of teaching them how to kick the ball or mark it, you are teaching them team structure, running patterns, and plays. They are learning to work within the team.
Some draftees come in straight away due to need or talent.
Draper isn't a tall forward, defender or ruck than needs to bulk up, strengthen up to be able to physically compete with the strength of the players who will be manning up on him.

He has already shown he can play at the level at the beginning of the year. He isnt getting better playing in the SANFL.

You ARE developing Draper's decision making, which directly affects his ability to dispose of the ball.

You ARE getting him used to having bigger and more athletic players around him and the ball.

Most importantly, you're getting him to understand structure and spacing - where to be and why.

This is a really valuable year for Draper and he'll benefit strongly from it. Trying to learn and develop while also having Nick Daicos sprint off you is self defeating. We saw that with Curtin trying to learn better one on one footy - he could do it in the AFL and have Ah Chee smash him, or in the SANFL where he improved across the year and was ready for this year.

 

[Southerntakeover]

You ARE developing Draper's decision making, which directly affects his ability to dispose of the ball.

You ARE getting him used to having bigger and more athletic players around him and the ball.

Most importantly, you're getting him to understand structure and spacing - where to be and why.

This is a really valuable year for Draper and he'll benefit strongly from it. Trying to learn and develop while also having Nick Daicos sprint off you is self defeating. We saw that with Curtin trying to learn better one on one footy - he could do it in the AFL and have Ah Chee smash him, or in the SANFL where he improved across the year and was ready for this year.

Weird that Nick Daicos didn't need to learn how to play in the VFL.

Almost like we shouldn't have played Curtin in a defensive role when he's a natural wingman.

 

[Southerntakeover]

This is just going to become increasingly expansively made up isnt it?

"Draper is learning how to run in the SANFL, putting one foot forward then the other, its very difficult. Most kids struggle with it. Its VERY valuable for him to learn to be able to do this against the high quality standard of the SANFL, which really is even better than the AFL. If he was in the AFL he would have to stand like a statue waving his arms around and screaming for help because he needs to learn how to RUN. This is very beneficial for him. We know because the club did it, and they've always been right in our lifetimes."

 

[steve9798]

Draper reminds me of watching Lance Picioane play for Adelaide. Where he seemed like the player with the most exciting potential in the squad for the first quarter he played. And beyond that not much of anything.

Written off Draper already?

 

[davos44]

You ARE developing Draper's decision making, which directly affects his ability to dispose of the ball.

You ARE getting him used to having bigger and more athletic players around him and the ball.

Most importantly, you're getting him to understand structure and spacing - where to be and why.

This is a really valuable year for Draper and he'll benefit strongly from it. Trying to learn and develop while also having Nick Daicos sprint off you is self defeating. We saw that with Curtin trying to learn better one on one footy - he could do it in the AFL and have Ah Chee smash him, or in the SANFL where he improved across the year and was ready for this year.

I 100% agree, our strategy of giving guys lots of SANFL time to develop their craft in the correct environment ie. A SANFL team not hellbent on premierships, just adhering to the AFL structure is the right way to go.

Sid Draper wasn't getting near the ball and I saw him as a bit of a headless chook, some very nice glimpses but not enough substance.

 

[Southerntakeover]

I 100% agree, our strategy of giving guys lots of SANFL time to develop their craft in the correct environment ie. A SANFL team not hellbent on premierships, just adhering to the AFL structure is the right way to go.

Sid Draper wasn't getting near the ball and I saw him as a bit of a headless chook, some very nice glimpses but not enough substance.

His ball getting rate in the AFL was more than fine considered against game time

 

[Mostyn]

I 100% agree, our strategy of giving guys lots of SANFL time to develop their craft in the correct environment ie. A SANFL team not hellbent on premierships, just adhering to the AFL structure is the right way to go.

Sid Draper wasn't getting near the ball and I saw him as a bit of a headless chook, some very nice glimpses but not enough substance.

Fair - it's all instinct and athleticism, which is fair enough for a teenager. But he has seemed to be good over the last month, though I've only seen highlights and snippets.

 

[George CantStandYa]

I 100% agree, our strategy of giving guys lots of SANFL time to develop their craft in the correct environment ie. A SANFL team not hellbent on premierships, just adhering to the AFL structure is the right way to go.

Sid Draper wasn't getting near the ball and I saw him as a bit of a headless chook, some very nice glimpses but not enough substance.

I’m shocked you 100% agree with Mostyn, I mean the club

 

[davos44]

His ball getting rate in the AFL was more than fine considered against game time

He seemed to go the wrong side of the contest and be a bit out of sync but he did more than Jones when he did play, for sure.

 

[davos44]

I’m shocked you 100% agree with Mostyn, I mean the club

Uh oh, the opinion police.

What's the crime officer?

In my vest pocket is an open can of Pepsi Max and some fly paper.

I am above the legal win-loss record of 40% and the photo of a bald man in my wallet wearing a Crows polo is Nigel Smart.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Uh oh, the opinion police.

What's the crime officer?

In my vest pocket is an open can of Pepsi Max and some fly paper.

I am above the legal win-loss record of 40% and the photo of a bald man in my wallet wearing a Crows polo is Nigel Smart.

Mental gymnastics to back club decisions ie a sycophant