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

 

[PRANKSTER666]

Are we taking a pick today or saving the spot for another mature delisted player? Surely 3 likely lost cloggers is enough and worth taking a gamble now on an inside mid with deficiencies and hope they can make it, i.e. Greeves, FRod or best available mid in BOB, NHH or even have a swing at a project ruck in Kras...

 

[Keys]

They’re meeting this morning to make a decision on whether to draft someone this morning or hold the spot open for a train on option

Couldn’t get a read on which way they might go but sounds more like they’ll pass this morning - probably depends on how highly they rate one of the players that’s gone undrafted. Clarke did sound like he was surprised by some of the players other clubs took late

Do like the profile of Oudshoorn-Bennier and hopefully Massey pushes his case. Would soften the blow of missing Banfield if we picked up someone like this

 

[Bacchus]

What about the possibility that they just assumed that Williams would be the only one who would attract a bid and got that badly wrong?

No, I think they knew they were gambling.

And they lost! Again!

Evans knew they weren’t taking him, and only lukewarm interest was expressed for Banfield.

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

Barnett is not WAFL quality, barely WAFL reserves quality. Dead man walking as regards an AFL football career.

People are dreaming if they think Barnett can suddenly turn his career around. There would need to be a miracle for that to happen.
Incredible depths to try to justify not delisting him.

 

[ChasingFlags25]

What is the knock on NHH?

Would he be a chance for today?

 

[mitchzz]

So do we have 2 spots left?

1x Cat A rookie
1x Cat B rookie: Wes Walley?

And the Cat A rookie we are just as likely not to select today in favour of some train ons?

What about an additional rookie list spot to join Dev, Macrae and Schoenberg? Is there a spot left for that as well?

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

Are we taking a pick today or saving the spot for another mature delisted player? Surely 3 likely lost cloggers is enough and worth taking a gamble now on an inside mid with deficiencies and hope they can make it, i.e. Greeves, FRod or best available mid in BOB, NHH or even have a swing at a project ruck in Kras...

I have a feeling based on Clarke's interview last night and the club's general mindset/obsession about increasing our list age profile, that a train on is more likely.
Perhaps they will pull a surprise by taking a player in the RD, but I'm not expecting it. They seem pretty content with filling their quota of 18 year old players from the draft.

 

[eagles rule]

Will Harper Banfield even nominate us for F/S next year? I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t.

Knee jerk reaction sounds ridiculous

 

[PRANKSTER666]

Well if they were looking at another delisted player for that purpose then they may as well do it right and get Tom Mitchell who will be able to provide some real leadership and experience and even play a role at times in our AFL team than another fringe never been...

 

[rebel23]

Id definitely take at least one rookie...
Wouldn't worry about the Vics...
Either Whan or Frod

I hope Toby whan... I rate him... And also get one back on our neighbours

 

[Elite Pete]

C-

 

[Bacchus]

If they rated Banfield and Evans they would've made list spots for them. They didn't so they didn't make it to the rookie draft. Clearly Brisbane and Saints rated them higher. If Batman Barnett can save his career and Williams can turn into a decent forward it might be worth the tough call.

Williams struggles to kick a goal or even get near the ball. Athletic tests don’t make a footballer.

His WAFL game was far less impressive than Banfield’s. Talent identification is a crucial factor in a sporting team’s success or lack thereof.

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

Knee jerk reaction sounds ridiculous

2 out 3 Banfield kids already passed by the Eagles tbf. He might not like his chances.

 

[stallon]

Its a very good take, and could be right. The other side of the coin is that, while i thought our draft is an A, not an A+ or an A-, i think compared to our trade/draft hand and the potential, we probably only got a C- at best.
Still a pass, but we probably overpaid a bit for Starc, threw away a solid R2 pick next year that reduces our flexibility, stuffed up the strategy for Addinsal, didn't delist and rookie Barnett, probably look like taking on 1 too many older recruits, etc.
Limp is probably the best way to explain our draft, and management at the moment. If we don't take the best youngster remaining in the rookie draft, that C- will go to a D in my mind.
It just seems like a continuing pattern / set of minor losses that is irritating.

Aside from throwing away the f2, which likely would've been pick 40ish anyway we didnt really blunder at all.

The expectation was gcs wouldnt match addinsall, the cost was the f2, thats the same error. 1 mistake

The rest was fine, we decided that 5 18 year olds was all we wanted and thats what we got.
Just because some fans wanted more kids doeant mean its a blunder

We got Lindsay who imo was a steal.

A C is a very negative way to look at it

 

[Winky]

I can't believe I read all of that shit

You contributed to a fair bit of it

 

[garlic munchers]

Would be very funny if we pull the trigger on Harper next year and Charlie turns out to be the good one.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

His 2km was good, can drive from the contest but lacks speed which is his main knock.

Given the athletic profiles of who we have drafted recently I’d be surprised if we took him or Greeves today, if we even use the pick.

Lacks speed but isn't he known for being good with either foot?

I struggle to see how he's not an AFL player. But then I've only seen a few highlight video's and no one would ever mistake me for a talent scout.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Drinking plenty of water this morning to make the most of my bed wetting opportunities as we pass on the best young talent still on the board in favour of another washed up has been or never was like Dev

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

C-

This rating is spot on. Despite, the trio of quality picks on day 1, the ridiculous trade to move up one spot, and not leaving enough spots for Evans & Banfield meaning we lost both, makes it a very mixed draft performance for us.

If they didn't lose the F2, still got Lindsay and were able to match bids on 1 or both Evans and Banfield. It would've been close to an A. These decisions are indefensible. Being an Eagles fans doesn't mean accepting everything they do as Gospel, or sweeping it under the rug. This guy from ESPN gets it and is calling it out.

Grading every club's selections at the AFL Draft

The 2025 AFL Draft has been run, but which team won? ESPN's draft expert Jasper Chellappah has cast his eye over every club and handed down a grade. Who takes out the lone A+?

www.espn.com.au

"What followed was a bizarre combination of events. The Eagles traded St Kilda's future second rounder (via the Liam Ryan deal) to Hawthorn to move up a solitary spot late in the first round. They then bid twice on Gold Coast prospects Jai Murray and Beau Addinsall, but failed to land either as the Suns had traded in the points to match. It meant West Coast settled on Josh Lindsay who the Hawks were set to overlook and wasted a second round pick.

The AFL's draft assistance package to the Eagles involved additional rookie list spots for their club-tied talent. The only problem? Only one of them (Wes Walley) made it through the national draft to be of use to West Coast. It meant that the club not cutting deep enough into their list led to them missing out on the talents of Evans and Banfield.

 

[Bacchus]

It’s all down to order and where players fall. Simple as that.
Got asked about moving Cripps to the rookie list but never really gave a Better answer than his experience ..
With what we have brought it we should have just riissoled Cole…

Don’t seem all that keen to be using pick one in the rookie draft . More interested in train ons

This is typical of this clown show. Pick one in any draft is a massive advantage.

A professional team uses every advantage.

A bottom of the ladder team doesn’t see the advantage and doesn’t value it.

What happened to Pyke’s pulling every lever?

More interest in failed players like Schoenberg and Macrae? There is someone who is out of their depth.

 

[PRANKSTER666]

They’re meeting this morning to make a decision on whether to draft someone this morning or hold the spot open for a train on option

A champagne breakfast for all the lads at the Ritz?

 

[plays tall 1]

Knee jerk reaction sounds ridiculous

Looking at the guys we’ve drafted, we’d be unlikely to draft Harper. The theme I get from our selections is that we only want elite athletes, unless they’re an elite kick (Lindsay) or a re-heated delist (no athleticism required for them).

 

[Bacchus]

Its not about player x.

Its about putting ourselves into a position where we dont have any control or choice on matching players late and players who we spent years developing or a father son in a position of need.

Obviously other clubs rated our nga's and father son. We basically said, if you rate players we have priority access to you can have them.

We put retaining old veterans and struggling fringe players ahead of our future.

Piss poor planning results in piss poor outcomes. We looked like amateurs last night.

Even the commentators were bemused by our incompetence.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

"What followed was a bizarre combination of events. The Eagles traded St Kilda's future second rounder (via the Liam Ryan deal) to Hawthorn to move up a solitary spot late in the first round. They then bid twice on Gold Coast prospects Jai Murray and Beau Addinsall, but failed to land either as the Suns had traded in the points to match. It meant West Coast settled on Josh Lindsay who the Hawks were set to overlook and wasted a second round pick.

The AFL's draft assistance package to the Eagles involved additional rookie list spots for their club-tied talent. The only problem? Only one of them (Wes Walley) made it through the national draft to be of use to West Coast. It meant that the club not cutting deep enough into their list led to them missing out on the talents of Evans and Banfield.

The club clearly had a strategy that included rating Barnett and an old has been train on player higher than these players, and if the last 5 years have taught us anything, it's that the club's strategy is sound and working wonders

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Will be interesting to see who we take in the rookie draft. I don't think we're going to pass and leave a spot open for an SSP signing.

For me, it has to be Fred Rodriguez. Had all the WA hype over the last 12 months, won the WA MVP. I would have thought a balanced mid with good skills would be a good addition to our developing midfield.

• Blamires is probably off the cards, with the mature/recycled players we've already picked up onto our rookie list.
• NHH has talent, but injury prone and we've already selected Sam Allen, so probably not in the market for another injured prospect.
• Greeves was in top-15 discussions earlier in the year. Are his deficiencies that significant, or is there attitude issues?