Game Day The 2025 Draft Day Thread

[UseR2006]

And a song to sing as we watch,

Hey Matty Clarke by Kevin (Random260) Wilson :

Hey Matty Clarke you campaigner, where the **** is Sharp
I’ve looked at all these other spuds and there’s no one that I like
I wrote you a ****ing letter and posted about it twice
You dopey ****ing Richmond fart, you forgot my ****ing Sharp

If I wanted a stupid ruckman type, I would’ve bloody asked
And this half back flank and temu mid, you can shove right up your arse
You’ve stuffed the bloody order up, it’s enough to make you spew
But it’s not just me who’s snakey, SGIO is dirty too

Next time I come to see ya, I’m going to punch you in the guts
And I’ll sack the other recruiting knobs and kick Toddy in the nuts
You just wait 'til next year when you go back to the draft
And me and me little GIO come stomping through the door
And we'll say, yeah, you wait for it

Hey Pyke and Woosh you smell his breath
And check his bloodshot eyes
And don't listen to him eagles fans 'cause he tells ****ing lies
He's just a ****ing useless campaigner and he's not even very bright
'Cause the stupid ****in' w***er, forgot me ****in' Sharp

Hey Matty Clarke you campaigner, where the **** is Sharp
I’ve looked at all these other spuds and there’s no one that I like
I wrote you a ****ing letter and posted about it twice
You dopey ****ing Richmond fart, you forgot my ****ing Sharp

A Quick Ai rendition: https://suno.com/s/blQP3cSnulhqYb5g
It's funny how it interrupted the lyrics XD

 

[rebel23]

You don't want 3 list cloggers yet you suggest Mitchell, who'd spend his entire season running laps on Jamieson oval and Ah Chee, who we don't have a main list spot for?

Mate... Mitchell at least is a gun at finding the football which is a skill the others don't have... And they are all slow and crap... That's why Adelaide and Collingwood delisted them.

The fact that we don't have list spot for ahchee is another f..kup.

We've committed to those 3. They're as good as already on the list

Might be the only one but dont mind them at all given the extra spots and the list profile. They can all play and will be pushing our best 22. Reminder, we won 1 game

We can uncommit if that's even a word... Show some actual campaigner for once... You only need two of them... and two draftees from this year like fred and greeves

 

[BartBart]

So do we pick a halfback flanker, small forward, Fwd/Ruck or winger tomorrow?

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Is the reigning premiers talent ID all that good? 80% of their key players have come from Academy/FS/FA/Trade.

You can add our academy to that list.

Bring back Brad Smith to head the WA talent identification.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

So do we pick a halfback flanker, small forward, Fwd/Ruck or winger tomorrow?

Nobody. We let the dregs get picked up and then train on the dregs of the dregs.

 

[Shueygod]

If we move Cripps and Barnett to the rookie list who is out of contract and gets delisted next year considering we’d likely need minimum 6 (likely more considering we have 3 rated NGA/FS prospects and will no doubt trade in a player or two) spots open?

That appears to be how the list management team have come to the conclusion they aren’t worth a list spot as we’d need to offer two years.

The equation isn’t as simple as Evans and and Banfield vs nothing, it’s actually Evans and Banfield vs players we pay out (Owies for example not a great loss ) + 200k.

Do I think it’s likely that 200k could be used (now or with the benefit of front ending in the future) to add to a contract and get better players than those two.

Probably.

 

[Loyal Lion]

Koby Evans wont be playing seniors for Brissy in 2026 , going to be tough breaking into the Brisbane side anytime soon .
Not ideal .
Same with Cody Curtin .
Gotta be reasonable to offer their draftees best opportunity to play AFL , ...

It's a long season mate. No doubt injuries will happen. Good luck in 2026. You have got a fantastic player in Starce. Do you think that he will get some midfield time?

 

[bzparkes]

If there a better player available you take them, couldn't care less that we don't end up with a FS or an academy player, harsh but that's the way it goes.

It sounds simple in theory but apparently it's difficult to understand in practice

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Surely we don't need three elder list cloggers in the rookie draft.

Commit to Dev...flip the script and tell mcrae and Schoenberg to take a hike... And then get titchell to come down.. or just pick ahchee

At least we may be able to rookie a couple of mids that have missed out on the ND

Eagles has been a half way house for players lacking talent and ambition for 6-7 years now. Invite them all in.

 

[Forward Press]

Mate... Mitchell at least is a gun at finding the football which is a skill the others don't have... And they are all slow and crap... That's why Adelaide and Collingwood delisted them.

Why did Tom Mitchell get delisted then?

 

[chaddy22]

I would expect and hope on talent more than 5 players going next year and I don't see our additional Rookie spots getting cut by the AFL. We should be churning those mature guys if they don't make the 23.

Apart from Cripps to the rookie list which would've given us six picks. I am glad we didn't go stupid and delist too many and leave us short for spots in 2026 when we should have a better draft and academy players.
We have 15 out of contract in 2026 which sounds a lot but i expect only half will be moved on.
We have ten out of contract in 2027 and the three that may be retirees/delist are Kelly. Yeo and Owies.
If Owies has a bad year we could delist a year early but may need to carry somebody into 2027 as our third delist.
List management is not just about this year but the following years.
As we have extra spots for the next few years we will have to manage very carefully who and how many we move on
just in case we find us short on spots in a good draft

 

[Priddis Is Done]

Let me get this right.

Essendon rebuilt their midfield in one draft.

We cant get there in 20 drafts.

Pathetic.

 

[bzparkes]

Mate... Mitchell at least is a gun at finding the football which is a skill the others don't have... And they are all slow and crap... That's why Adelaide and Collingwood delisted them.

Newsflash - Collingwood also delisted Mitchell and he's a walking injury waiting to happen.

The fact that we don't have list spot for ahchee is another f..kup.

We don't have a list spot for Ah Chee because he, in no uncertain terms, wants to play for WCE.

We can uncommit if that's even a word... Show some actual campaigner for once... You only need two of them... and two draftees from this year like fred and greeves

Clarke already said in his interview tonight that they only wanted to take 5 18yos this year. Our age profile is incredibly young, it can't keep getting younger.

Go and listen to Jamie Maddocks interview in the media thread you'll understand why. They don't want to add more 18yos.

 

[eaglesfan84]

Ok So how the **** do you let Charlie Banfield go??

 

[element]

The general feeling I have about the last few drafts is that outside of the top 5 picks where the choice is somewhat obvious, a lot of the other draft/trading decisions feel like they're just short of being well-executed.
If we're in finals contention with a great list you could almost not care about them. Many on here keep posting to ignore the failures and look on the bright side or just trust the team. I see these failures in forward planning and execution as what got us to our situation and what will potentially keep us mired at the bottom of the ladder. I want the team to be executing trades and drafts as astutely as possible, because that is what is needed.

We got Tylah Williams who was obviously who the club wanted most out of the 3, but the fact we lost out on 2 others when some simple forward planning could've allowed us to have enough space for another of them is disappointing.

Lindsay sounds like he's a great kid, the highlights are good, and stoked to have him. But to burn a F2 that was received for Liam Ryan

1

Liam Ryan

Age

29

Ht

181cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

8.6

3star

HB

2.7

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.3

5star

D

9.9

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.3

3star

T

1.6

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

11.4

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.8

4star

G

1.6

5star

when we didn't need to is disappointing. A F2 in 2026 is not an insignificant pick.

That we didn't manage to trade up for any of the available picks that were being traded away early in the first round was not great. Maybe this was out of our hands and nobody wanted what we offered, but if we wanted to really push GC to the wall for points, why bid Dean and not Patterson? Either go hard or don't burn the F2 for seemingly no return. By all accounts Hawks were into Nairn, not Lindsay, so there didn't seem a need to jump 1 spot. Sure, there is speculation also that the Dogs might have traded up for Lindsay. But again the result didn't feel like it was a well-planned, well-executed and considered strategy.

But not just this year 2025.
Hawks over Blues R1 last year quickly turned into a poor choice.
Baker has been an amazing addition to the club. He sets standards and should be next captain. But it really didn't feel like we needed to give as much as we did for him.

I admit I am focusing on the mistakes. But I don't want to just accept them and move on. Nobody else should accept them either if we want the club to do everything possible to be better.

Now, there's been wins that were great decisions.
Like Port giving us a free R2 last year to slide 1 pick so they could get who they wanted ahead of Freo. And then getting Bo anyway.
Getting lucky and picking up Shanahan as a slider.
Splitting 2 for Ginbey and Hewett (this one may be counter to what I said above about top picks being easy decisions, as it was a genuinely great call and not easily made).


But overall, it's just the vibe of the recruitment/trading. It's the vibe of it.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Kinda the same as the folks on here who relentlessly shouted down those of us who were flagging issues with our performance in 2019.

Absolute crickets after 6 years of some of the worst football put up at any level. Despite posting near every day.

I do have to chuckle when Mr Badger starts coating our shit in glitter. Heart of a saint that fella!

Yes “whinging about a 40 point win not being a 60 point win is lame because one day we’ll be shit and you’ll pine for the day of an underwhelming 40 point win” really proved to be horrible advice in 2019 didn’t it.

Very happy to call out mistakes by the club and have done so many times, in this thread and elsewhere.

I like footy. I like looking forward to it. I like looking to the future for when the wheel will turn again. Not sure why people who are angry in our Premiership seasons even bother with the hobby.

Finding shit to cry about when we’re romping it in isn’t being competitive or relentlessly pursuing a standard or pushing to find an edge, it’s just being miserable. Now that they’ve given us a reason to be miserable, the pigs in shit are out ready to cry over every future future third rounder that could become the next great star and why haven’t we sacked everybody again.

Gets old. If you hate it so much, take a break. Process was flawed, list is better, I’m excited to watch our kids. How awful.

 

[EagleMutt]

Frod no chance then?

 

[bzparkes]

You can add our academy to that list.

Bring back Brad Smith to head the WA talent identification.

Teaches at Darling Range Sports college and was Evans and Williams' teacher.

'Tip of the iceberg': The WA sports school that's set to go off on draft night

The first specialist sports school in Western Australia could have two players drafted later this month

www.afl.com.au

 

[bzparkes]

Let me get this right.

Essendon rebuilt their midfield in one draft.

We cant get there in 20 drafts.

Pathetic.

Yep, rebuilt it with a bloke who played 4 good games to end the year, a half back flanker(who most on here were terrified we'd draft) and an honest trier who struggles in other roles.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

If there a better player available you take them, couldn't care less that we don't end up with a FS or an academy player, harsh but that's the way it goes.

A lot of people missing the point.

Players we drafted? Huge win. Great haul of excellent young men/players.

List management meaning we couldn't match bids on Evans/Banfield? Huge fumble.

Last time I repeat myself I promise.

 

[stallon]

Yeah I dont think we were blind sided or mis managed the situation, we simply didn't rate them that high

Which, given the reigning premiers did (rate one of them at least), its pretty fair to question whether our recruiting staff have made the right call

We'll find out in 5 years or so

Brisbane recruiting staff havent had to do a whole lot recently though tbh.

F/S, academy and Logan Morris(who is benefitting massively from being in a very strong side) in the last few years.

The general consensus is our recruiting staff have drafted quite well over the last few years

Id argue our recruiting staff have more credibility than the Lions guys in recent times

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Surely we don't need three elder list cloggers in the rookie draft.

Commit to Dev...flip the script and tell mcrae and Schoenberg to take a hike... And then get titchell to come down.. or just pick ahchee

At least we may be able to rookie a couple of mids that have missed out on the ND

Gee.

 

[Priddis Is Done]

Yep, rebuilt it with a bloke who played 4 good games to end the year, a half back flanker(who most on here were terrified we'd draft) and an honest trier who struggles in other roles.

And any future father son for WCE, the dad will telling the club to go F themselves.

 

[bzparkes]

Kinda the same as the folks on here who relentlessly shouted down those of us who were flagging issues with our performance in 2019.

Absolute crickets after 6 years of some of the worst football put up at any level. Despite posting near every day.

I do have to chuckle when Mr Badger starts coating our shit in glitter. Heart of a saint that fella!

Our 'flagging' performances in 2019 happened in the last 3 rounds. We should've made top 2 that year and the grand final. Having said, there were enough people who shit the bed in preseason of 2018, so I guess a broken clock is right twice a day after all.

Covid ****ed most teams up, hard to judge. Was clear in 2021 that we needed to draft mids though, Simpson himself said it in a mid year press conference. Pity we'd already traded out of multiple first rounds for Kelly but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

The real downward spiral was post-bye in 2021 though, which was plain for all to see. Did well with the young players in the first half of the season then completely shit the bed when the seniors returned and it just spiraled from there.

 

[Avalor]

Has the dust settled yet? All the melting done with?
I guess it's now safe to comment. I for one am thrilled with the outcome. Day one - enough said. Top shelf.
Day two, shame on Banfield, but clearly they were hoping he would pass through to the rookie listing tomorrow. They rated Sam Allen higher, and fair enough, I have to agree. I am 100% with Tylah William too. He is just what we need, some indigenous talent, a thrill maker, at half forward. He will be a gun! I have no doubt, and WCE gave him priority over Banfield according to their rankings. Again, fair enough!
It has been a great draft by us. No complaints from me.
Surprized to still see quite a few fancied picks not selected.
Surprized that Leon Kickett is still undrafted too - would like to rookie him tomorrow. Rate him more than Wes Walley. Kickett and Williams are close too, brothers in all aspects.
Anyway, well done WCE!

 

[Forward Press]

And any future father son for WCE, the dad will telling the club to go F themselves.

...you do know we have a father/son selection on our list who won All Australian selection just two years ago, yeah?