Taylor Walker Draft

[kaij10]

Not sure if this has been brought up for discussion, but I really want to get some thoughts on Taylor Walker. Let's say if he entered this years draft, what pick would he be? and why?

Considering he was a 2007 Under 18 All Australian, I know I know on the I/C but so was Naitanui and hey he still made the final cut. The 2007 list included the likes of Cyril Rioli, Rhys Palmer, Cale Morton.

Thoughts?

 

[jo172]

I'm no expert on this draft, but surely he'd be top 5ish?

An 18 year old kicking 60 goals in a SANFL season is unheard of!

Blokes like Tredera, Pavlich, Kernahan etc. never managed to do that.

As good as some of these blokes in this draft are wrapped up to be Walker cannot be worse and he has a proven ability to play senior football in the most difficult position, something most notably Jack Watts does not.

 

[lunacy]

Surely he has Watts covered at this stage. They are both 18 yrs (I think Watts is anyway), one is playing against men, the other against boys. Walker is not only playing against men, but at times playing as a dominant forward.

Natanui is only up there because of his freakish athleticism not for him footy ability.

Rich is a totally different player and will depend on what team's needs are as to where he goes in the draft.

Walker would have to be top 3 surely... then there's Dangerfield

 

[aNty]

Johnstone this year is ranked around 6th-15th. Currently playing u/17 for North Adelaide so you would expect Walker to be 6< imo.

 

[Cap]

but he has had a full year of AFL development.

I'm more happy to see us develop a forward for once.

 

[Geoffa32]

A more relevant question would of been where would he have gone in last years draft.

Any 18 year old with an AFL preseason is going to be better than one who has only played u/18s TAC.

FWIW he would of gone first round last year. "Only" playing in Broken Hill may of stopped some clubs picking him.

 

[Niximus]

I understand what he's saying about this year's draft as opposed to last year's. Walker didn't play for the Crows in 08 so his introduction next year will be the equivilent of having picked up a player at that position of the draft over the off season.

Taylor would be a top 5 for sure.
Patty played 2 games but really couldn't be described as being part of the 08 Crows.

So we essentially have Walker, Dangerfield and whoever we get with our first round pick which is exactly like us having 3 picks in the top 10 of the draft this year.

 

[WALL-e]

Can't compare.

He would be top age this year, but he has had the pleasure of an AFL pre-season. If he kicks 50+ goals in the SANFL without AFL pre-season training then you'd say top 5 LOCK.

Last year he would have been between 15-25 range. Played well in Broken Hill, but it's Broken Hill.

 

[CROW36]

I understand what he's saying about this year's draft as opposed to last year's. Walker didn't play for the Crows in 08 so his introduction next year will be the equivilent of having picked up a player at that position of the draft over the off season.

Taylor would be a top 5 for sure.
Patty played 2 games but really couldn't be described as being part of the 08 Crows.

So we essentially have Walker, Dangerfield and whoever we get with our first round pick which is exactly like us having 3 picks in the top 10 of the draft this year.

Mcdermott reckons that walker is a better player than Kernahan was at the same age......I know that Mcdermott's opion doesn't mean much but eyes dont lie he is a fantastic player.

 

[cmndstab]

Earlier this year he would have been around pick 5-10. Now, after his good finals series and 60 goals, you'd have to see him sitting around pick 5.


He would be someone I would be praying to "slide to the Crows" if he was in the draft.

 

[CROW36]

Earlier this year he would have been around pick 5-10. Now, after his good finals series and 60 goals, you'd have to see him sitting around pick 5.


He would be someone I would be praying to "slide to the Crows" if he was in the draft.

It will be intersting to see if Watts can accomplish next year what Walker has achieved this year.

 

[cmndstab]

It will be intersting to see if Watts can accomplish next year what Walker has achieved this year.

I could be wrong, but Watts is a bit taller than Walker, right? That would count in his favour.

But as was mentioned earlier, last year is when Walker would have been recruited, and the difference between Walker playing at Broken Hill compared to Watts playing in the VFL would count for a lot.

For what it's worth, had Walker been drafted without the NSW Scholarship last year I would have expected a second-rounder. Assuming he had made the same progress in his junior development without the scholarship.

 

[-VC-]

I understand what he's saying about this year's draft as opposed to last year's. Walker didn't play for the Crows in 08 so his introduction next year will be the equivilent of having picked up a player at that position of the draft over the off season.

That's completely untrue.

Don't underestimate what an AFL pre-season does for a player, let alone the fact he's training in an AFL structure many times per week.

There's no way Walker has the year he has had this year without the Crows help.

 

[cmndstab]

That's completely untrue.

Don't underestimate what an AFL pre-season does for a player, let alone the fact he's training in an AFL structure many times per week.

There's no way Walker has the year he has had this year without the Crows help.

Not to mention that we almost never debut Crows players in their first year on the list. I don't think Petrenko/Kite/etc count as extra recruits next year either.


That's one of the painful things about following the draft. You spend all year hoping for a kid, and if you're lucky your club even drafts them, but then you still wait 18 months before they actually play a game more often than not, hahaha.

 

[Niximus]

That's completely untrue.

Don't underestimate what an AFL pre-season does for a player, let alone the fact he's training in an AFL structure many times per week.

There's no way Walker has the year he has had this year without the Crows help.

That's not what I'm saying.

Walker is essentially a new addition to the Crows playing team as of next year. He will be joining the team at the level he is currently at.

Think of it as if he had that pre-season for Port and then they de listed him and we are picking him up in the draft this year.

We virtually have a top 5 player joining the team in this off season no different to if we drafted one.

Same with Rodney a top 10 pick who wasn't really a part of our playing team last year, joinging us next year. Add our pick 10 to that and it makes 3 top 10 players who weren't part of the Crows last year potentially being a part next year.

 

[Campbell's Chunky]

Meh, its all subjective.

Van Berlo and possibly even Knighta and maybe Maric in a year or 2 woulda been top 10 picks back in 04 in hindsight.

That's how the draft works. Taylor would have been taken last year...probably 2nd round.

 

[Pietmans]

I could be wrong, but Watts is a bit taller than Walker, right? That would count in his favour.

But as was mentioned earlier, last year is when Walker would have been recruited, and the difference between Walker playing at Broken Hill compared to Watts playing in the VFL would count for a lot.

For what it's worth, had Walker been drafted without the NSW Scholarship last year I would have expected a second-rounder. Assuming he had made the same progress in his junior development without the scholarship.

The Big Footy posters on the Drafts and Trading Board were suggesting probably 25-45 if he had been available in last years draft. However, the common comment was that despite his obvious talent, he was only 188cm in height and therefore a 'tweener' - not quite big enough for a key position. In fact, his State Screening results showed him at 191.5 cm by September (the 188 would have been early in the year), and he has a nice build at around 87kg when drafted. This would indicate to me that he will comfortably be around the 95 kg weight when his body is fully mature and after a few years of AFL weight training. (He has a more solid build than Bock at the same stage).

That would put him in a similar category to Fevola in a few years time, and since he still had 6 months to go until reaching 18 when he measured 191.5 cm it is entirely possible that he could have continued growing thereafter.

I have absolutely no inside information but I have wondered ever since how other teams would have ranked him if they considered him a KPP prospect.

 

[-VC-]

That's not what I'm saying.

Walker is essentially a new addition to the Crows playing team as of next year. He will be joining the team at the level he is currently at.

Think of it as if he had that pre-season for Port and then they de listed him and we are picking him up in the draft this year.

We virtually have a top 5 player joining the team in this off season no different to if we drafted one.

Same with Rodney a top 10 pick who wasn't really a part of our playing team last year, joinging us next year. Add our pick 10 to that and it makes 3 top 10 players who weren't part of the Crows last year potentially being a part next year.

Given the way the club manages their youngsters this year's Pick 10 won't count until 2010.

There's more of a case for Rodney being an extra first rounder, because he wasn't really with the club this year. I can't see it with Walker. He was there the whole time and just didn't get picked. Very exciting prospect, but he was most definitely with the side this year and just didn't get picked. It does hold us in good stead to have someone of his calibre waiting in the wings though.

I do understand what you're saying now though.