What teams want from the draft

[dee_girl9]

Originally posted by TheMase
Melbourne - Another forward, probably a medium forward, to replace farmer. (or 2). Another midfielder, because of Febeys departure. Maybe a tall defender (or 2).

umm Masey dear. just a footnote Febes hasnt departed he is hanging around for another year. and we just received Vardy and Bizzell from trading. And Ellis.

so umm yeah maybe a tall defender.

 

[blackdiamond]

What Port needs:

I will repeat exactly what the media say because it is the truth:

'WE NEED A TALL DEFENDER!'

Our regular defenders, meaning Full Back and Centre Half Back being Stephen Paxman and Darren Mead are getting to the end of the line in their careers.

Behind them we have one established defender in Darryl Wakelin. Then we have Scott Bassett, Matthew Bishop, Adam Morgan and Toby Thurstans. Bassett has played less than 10 games, Bishop about 40 and the other two have no games against their name at all.

We MUST look at recruiting a really good tall defender with our first pick. If we have a few injuries and we must remember Paxman is already in this category we are going to have one very short inexperienced defence.

We can't worry all the time about Tredrea falling over, if it happens it happens, we are not going to find a ready made CHF of FF to replace him now anyway. We scored more than most teams this year, players like Chad Cornes, Bowen Lockwood, Brendon Lade, Che Cockatoo-Collins, Mark Harwood (if kept) even without Tredrea will stand up a lot better than our defence.

So I will repeat:

'WE NEED A TALL DEFENDER'

 

[rfctigerarmy]

OK agreed The Mase but what i ment was we may not need another as we have talls inclueding Gasper, Holland, Stafford, Hall, Richardson and Ottens so if one of those goes we can replase the hole. Say richo goes. we got:
FB Gasper
CHB Holland/ Hall
RUCK Srafford
CHF Hall/ Holland
FF Ottens

If Gas Goes it may be a struggle but A Kellaway

 

[Roylion]

Originally posted by TheMase


Brisbane - Hard to say what Brisbane need. They seem to be fairly strong all over the ground. Midfield is great. Maybe another tallish defender.

The Lions need four types of players in my opinion. The Lions have already indicated they will only be using four picks in the draft. (#19, #35, #45, and #51). Below are my predictions (or should I say hopes) on who we could pick up. While it's almost imposible to predict past the top ten, I'll have a stab at it anyway for the Lions.

TALL FORWARD - to replace Alistair Lynch quite possibly at the end of 2002.
Ideal draftee :
- Graham Polak. No chance of getting him.
Possible draftee/s :
- David Hale (Broadbeach). Possibly as priority pick or at #19 or #35.
- Ashley Hansen (Oakleigh Chargers)
- Jordan Barham (Calder Cannons). The latter two likely to be both gone by our second pick, if we wait that long.
- Darren Bradshaw (Mt Gravatt) , brother of Daniel possibly with #51, or possibly a priority pick, if Hale is ineligible, due to the 50 km rule.

RUNNING HALF-BACK - in the mould of Martin Pike/Adam Hueskes.
Ideal draftee:
- Sam Power. However only a small chance of him still being around by #19. If he is, the Lions should draft him with this pick.
Possible Draftee/s
- Nathan Street (Gippsland Power), Ben Kane (Eastern Ranges), Jacob Schuback (Gippsland Power)

TALL DEFENDER - to replace Matthew Kennedy and allow Justin Leppitsch to go forward occasionally.
Ideal draftee :
- Josh Dicketts (Murray Bushrangers). Doubtful if he'll be be around by #35 or #45
Possible draftee/s :
- Ben Finnin (Northern Knights),
- Quinten Lynch (West Perth)
- Aidan Parker (Subiaco)

SMALL MIDFIELDER - The trading of Shannon Rusca and parting of ways between Brisbane and Ben Robbins, has seen a short-fall in this area. Shaun Hart and Marcus Ashcroft are also getting on. While we do have Ashley McGrath already on the list, another one wouldn't go astray.
Ideal draftee:
- Steven Armstrong. Very little chance of picking him up, even if the #19 pick is used on him, which I doubt it will be.
Possible Draftee/s :
- Leigh Montagna (Northern Knights). Could go anywhere in the second or third round, so would be a very useful pick up for us if still available at #45 or #51.
- Adam Jones (Subiaco)
- Daniel Elstone (Bendigo Pioneers)
- Campbell Brown (Oakleigh). Probably gone by #45 or #51.

 

[TheMase]

People .. if think some of you are missing the point ...

This is the draft, for other words kids to develop....

Players like Febey may be stay, but you need to develop players to replace them!

 

[Portia]

Originally posted by Scott
What Port needs:

I will repeat exactly what the media say because it is the truth:

'WE NEED A TALL DEFENDER!'

Our regular defenders, meaning Full Back and Centre Half Back being Stephen Paxman and Darren Mead are getting to the end of the line in their careers.

Behind them we have one established defender in Darryl Wakelin. Then we have Scott Bassett, Matthew Bishop, Adam Morgan and Toby Thurstans. Bassett has played less than 10 games, Bishop about 40 and the other two have no games against their name at all.

Lets count our existing tall defenders on the list.......Paxman, Mead, Wakelin, Bishop, Morgan, Thurstans, S. Burgoyne

Lets look at our existing tall forwards on the list........Tredrea, Cornes, Lockwood, Harwood, Lade

Which looks weaker and more in need of development & depth to you?

We MUST look at recruiting a really good tall defender with our first pick. If we have a few injuries and we must remember Paxman is already in this category we are going to have one very short inexperienced defence.

So check me on this........rather than use our players that have experience (no matter how minimal), you want us to pick up another defender in the draft that not only has no AFL experience, but will take two years to develop? I challenge you to find me a tall defender that was rated as a junior that hasn't.....Glass, Hay, Rawlings...it takes time for them to be decent. We already have people on our list that have had that time, and are ready to be decent now in Bassett, Thurstans, Morgan....and hey, even Wakelin.

We can't worry all the time about Tredrea falling over, if it happens it happens, we are not going to find a ready made CHF of FF to replace him now anyway. We scored more than most teams this year, players like Chad Cornes, Bowen Lockwood, Brendon Lade, Che Cockatoo-Collins, Mark Harwood (if kept) even without Tredrea will stand up a lot better than our defence.

What I find intriguing is that you think we can draft a ready made centre-half back, but not a centre-half forward. I agree there won't be a ready-made CHF this year....but at least if Tredrea goes down, we'll be giving some with potential (and no back injuries) some experience.

[/QUOTE]
So I will repeat:

'WE NEED A TALL DEFENDER' [/QUOTE]

Good for you. What we need to do is to play the ones we already have. In the draft, we need a tall forward.

 

[blackdiamond]

PORTHOS!

I THINK YOUR STATEMENT ON PORTS RECRUITING JUSTIFIES MY POINT EXACTLY! THE DEFENCE IS SURELY THE WEAKER LINK.

AND LIKE WITH WHAT PEOPLE TRY TO DO WITH STATISTICS SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TRIED TO MAKE OUR DEFENCE LOOK LIKE IT HAS MORE DEPTH BY ADDING THE NAME OF SHAUN BURGOYNE AS A TALL DEFENDER, HE IS ONLY 185CM AND CAN ONLY BE CLASSED AS A MEDIUM/SMALL DEFENDER, IM SURPRISED YOU DIDN'T ADD NAMES LIKE MONTGOMERY, WILSON AND KINGSLEY WHILE YOU WERE THERE.

THEN YOU LEAVE OUT THE NAME OF COCKATOO-COLLINS TO MAKE THE MARKING FORWARD LINE LOOK THINNER TO JUSTIFY YOUR CALL FOR ANOTHER FORWARD. SURELY THE INCLUSION OF LADE TO THE FORWARD LINE FOR THE 2002 SEASON WILL BE LIKE RECRUITING A NEW PLAYER AND I AM SURE LOCKWOOD WILL BE FITTER THAN EVER SO THERE ARE ALREADY TWO VERY CAPABLE FORWARDS.

THE BACKLINE IS THE MOST FRAGILE PART OF OUR TEAM. BASSETT PLAYED VERY WELL IN THE FINALS BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE SILLY NOT TO NOTICE THAT PAXMANS ABSENCE HURT US IN THE FINALS SERIES. PORT HOPE FOR HIM TO BE BACK FOR THE START OF THE SEASON BUT YOU CAN NEVER TELL WITH KNEE INJURIES.

THE FEELING IS THAT THE COMING SEASON WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST FOR THE TWO DEFENDERS THAT HAVE HELD UP OUR CLUB FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS, TAKE OUT PAXMAN AND MEAD AND WE ARE LEFT WITH BASSETT, BISHOP, THURSTANS AND MORGAN. THERE ARE STILL BIG QUESTION MARKS OVER THURSTANS AND MORGAN AND THE OTHER TWO HAVEN'T EXACTLY CEMENTED SPOTS INTO THE SIDE.

EVEN THOUGH IT MAY TAKE 2 YEARS FOR THE PLAYER TO COME THROUGH THE RANKS THIS WILL BE THE CASE WHETHER IT BE A FORWARD OR A DEFENDER. LETS LOOK AT THE AGE OF OUR DEFENCE AGAINST THE FORWARDS IN TWO YEARS TIME.

DEFENCE

BISHOP - 28 YEARS OLD
BASSETT - 25 YEARS OLD
THURSTANS - 23 YEARS OLD
MORGAN - 21 YEARS OLD

FORWARDS

COCKATOO-COLLINS - 28 YEARS OLD
BRENDON LADE - 27 YEARS OLD
TREDREA - 25 YEARS OLD
LOCKWOOD - 25 YEARS OLD
MARK HARWOOD - 25 YEARS OLD
CHAD CORNES - 24 YEARS OLD

WITH THIS VISION FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS YOU CANNOT TELL ME THAT THE DEFENCE IS THE STRONGER POINT. IF WE DO GO FOR A FORWARD INSTEAD OF THE DEFENCE AS WE SHOULD DONT LET ME HEAR YOU COMPLAINING THAT WE HAVE NO DEFENCE.

ITS NICE TO THINK THAT IF TREDREA WENT DOWN PORT WOULD LOOK AT DEBUTING A JUNIOR FOR SOME EXPERIENCE BUT REALITY TELLS ME LOCKWOOD IS STILL VERY MUCH IN THE MIND OF MARK WILLIAMS. WHO KNOWS WE MIGHT STILL PICK UP A TALL FORWARD BUT I HAVE NO DOUBT PORTS FIRST PICK IN THE DRAFT (15) WILL BE USED ON A TALL DEFENDER.

BE READY TO BE BITTERLY DISAPPOINTED COME DRAFT DAY AS WE WILL BE DRAFTING A TALL DEFENDER.

P.S. - IN A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION, LETS SAY WE HAD THE FORWARD LINE AS ABOVE AND ANOTHER TEAM HAD OUR DEFENCE. WOULD YOU CONSIDER SWAPPING THEM IN A TRADE, I WOULDN'T THINK SO. ALSO IF YOU PLAYED OUR BACKMEN AGAINST OUR FORWARD LINE OF 2002 WHO DO YOU THINK WOULD WIN? WE MUST START BUILDING OUR DEFENCE NOW. MOST CLUBS THIS YEAR WILL ALSO BE CONCENTRATING ON RUNNING TYPE PLAYERS SO IT IS A GOOD CHANCE TO GRAB A TALL DEFENDER.

 

[Portia]

Originally posted by Scott
PORTHOS!

I THINK YOUR STATEMENT ON PORTS RECRUITING JUSTIFIES MY POINT EXACTLY! THE DEFENCE IS SURELY THE WEAKER LINK.

I think this is the most amusing post I've read here Did you even read what I wrote?

AND LIKE WITH WHAT PEOPLE TRY TO DO WITH STATISTICS SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TRIED TO MAKE OUR DEFENCE LOOK LIKE IT HAS MORE DEPTH BY ADDING THE NAME OF SHAUN BURGOYNE AS A TALL DEFENDER, HE IS ONLY 185CM AND CAN ONLY BE CLASSED AS A MEDIUM/SMALL DEFENDER, IM SURPRISED YOU DIDN'T ADD NAMES LIKE MONTGOMERY, WILSON AND KINGSLEY WHILE YOU WERE THERE.

THEN YOU LEAVE OUT THE NAME OF COCKATOO-COLLINS TO MAKE THE MARKING FORWARD LINE LOOK THINNER TO JUSTIFY YOUR CALL FOR ANOTHER FORWARD. SURELY THE INCLUSION OF LADE TO THE FORWARD LINE FOR THE 2002 SEASON WILL BE LIKE RECRUITING A NEW PLAYER AND I AM SURE LOCKWOOD WILL BE FITTER THAN EVER SO THERE ARE ALREADY TWO VERY CAPABLE FORWARDS.

One of those things that people do with statistics, eh? Shaun Burgoyne only 185cm? OK.

How about your list? Che Cockatoo-Collins 181cm, Mark Harwood 188cm, Chad Cornes only just scraping in the tall forward class on 191cm. You idiot

THE BACKLINE IS THE MOST FRAGILE PART OF OUR TEAM. BASSETT PLAYED VERY WELL IN THE FINALS BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE SILLY NOT TO NOTICE THAT PAXMANS ABSENCE HURT US IN THE FINALS SERIES. PORT HOPE FOR HIM TO BE BACK FOR THE START OF THE SEASON BUT YOU CAN NEVER TELL WITH KNEE INJURIES.

No kidding we missed Paxman. But guess what?...we replaced him. Bassett did do well at fullback during the finals....can you really tell me that we have anyone that could've done as well if Tredrea had been the one to go down?

THE FEELING IS THAT THE COMING SEASON WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST FOR THE TWO DEFENDERS THAT HAVE HELD UP OUR CLUB FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS, TAKE OUT PAXMAN AND MEAD AND WE ARE LEFT WITH BASSETT, BISHOP, THURSTANS AND MORGAN. THERE ARE STILL BIG QUESTION MARKS OVER THURSTANS AND MORGAN AND THE OTHER TWO HAVEN'T EXACTLY CEMENTED SPOTS INTO THE SIDE.

I'm sorry, did Darryl Wakelin just dematerialize?

Wakelin, Bassett, Bishop, Thurstans, Morgan (I'll leave Burgoyne off if you insist)........5 tall defenders to pick from.

Do you know why these guys haven't cemented spots in the side? Because Mead and Paxman are too damn good. It doesn't make them crap.

EVEN THOUGH IT MAY TAKE 2 YEARS FOR THE PLAYER TO COME THROUGH THE RANKS THIS WILL BE THE CASE WHETHER IT BE A FORWARD OR A DEFENDER. LETS LOOK AT THE AGE OF OUR DEFENCE AGAINST THE FORWARDS IN TWO YEARS TIME.

Okay, here's the revised list taking out anyone under 190cm, because hey,

DEFENCE

Bishop - 28 years old
Wakelin - 28 years old
Bassett - 25 years old
Thurstans - 23 years old
Morgan - 21 years old

FORWARDS

BRENDON LADE - 27 YEARS OLD
TREDREA - 25 YEARS OLD
LOCKWOOD - 25 YEARS OLD
CHAD CORNES - 24 YEARS OLD

As for Brendan Lade, as you said earlier..."PORT HOPE FOR HIM TO BE BACK FOR THE START OF THE SEASON BUT YOU CAN NEVER TELL WITH KNEE INJURIES."

Yep, you never can tell. So check me on this, our defense in two years time, given no changes, will still have 5 key defenders available, with a good cross-section of age & experience, while our forward line consists of the currently injury prone Lade & Lockwood, coupled with Tredrea and the erratic Chad Cornes.

Hmmmm......tough call, you dill

WITH THIS VISION FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS YOU CANNOT TELL ME THAT THE DEFENCE IS THE STRONGER POINT. IF WE DO GO FOR A FORWARD INSTEAD OF THE DEFENCE AS WE SHOULD DONT LET ME HEAR YOU COMPLAINING THAT WE HAVE NO DEFENCE.

Geez, I reckon I can tell you our defence is the stronger point with a great amount of confidence.

ITS NICE TO THINK THAT IF TREDREA WENT DOWN PORT WOULD LOOK AT DEBUTING A JUNIOR FOR SOME EXPERIENCE BUT REALITY TELLS ME LOCKWOOD IS STILL VERY MUCH IN THE MIND OF MARK WILLIAMS. WHO KNOWS WE MIGHT STILL PICK UP A TALL FORWARD BUT I HAVE NO DOUBT PORTS FIRST PICK IN THE DRAFT (15) WILL BE USED ON A TALL DEFENDER.

BE READY TO BE BITTERLY DISAPPOINTED COME DRAFT DAY AS WE WILL BE DRAFTING A TALL DEFENDER.

I bet Alan Stewart (Port recruiting officer) is your uncle, is he? Hahahaha. Lockwood came to mind for Mark Williams late this year, but if I recall he dropped him after one game. And he wasn't injured.

And if the youngster is good, of course he'll get a game.

P.S. - IN A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION, LETS SAY WE HAD THE FORWARD LINE AS ABOVE AND ANOTHER TEAM HAD OUR DEFENCE. WOULD YOU CONSIDER SWAPPING THEM IN A TRADE, I WOULDN'T THINK SO. ALSO IF YOU PLAYED OUR BACKMEN AGAINST OUR FORWARD LINE OF 2002 WHO DO YOU THINK WOULD WIN? WE MUST START BUILDING OUR DEFENCE NOW. MOST CLUBS THIS YEAR WILL ALSO BE CONCENTRATING ON RUNNING TYPE PLAYERS SO IT IS A GOOD CHANCE TO GRAB A TALL DEFENDER.

Our backline would win. And I wouldn't want to swap either our forward line or our defence in a trade. But in a draft, I'd want to see us bringing up a decent tall forward.....we lack depth there, as should be evident to you by now.

 

[blackdiamond]

Porthos!

Amusing post maybe! I find yours quite amusing as well but then again that is what you get with differing point of views and thats what makes this so fun.

I included Cockatoo-Collins because he is a genuine marking forward, sure he won't play in Tredrea's position should he go down but in the overall scheme of things forwards are not what we need, we as a team are quite capable of kicking high scores.

As for Chad Cornes just scraping into the tall forward class this could be said the same for Bassett as a defender who is only 190cm.

I can't tell you of anyone in the Port side that could have done as well if Tredrea went down, however he is the All-Australian CHF so it would be hard pressed for any side to have two CHF of this class.

Darryl Wakelin was an oversight on my side, he should have been in the team. However even with him in the team we are a little suspect. In two years time he will be 29 and getting towards the end. We must have a vision for two years time.

I probably wouldn't be so concerned if Thurstans and Morgan had coeme on a bit better. Some people still think Morgan is a possible delisting this year. Nothing is for certain with these two players. Lets talk in 'ifs' now, I hate talking this way but you started by saying what if Tredrea falls over. Lets say Morgan and Thrustans don't make the grade as we wish andthen Paxman and Mead retire at the end of the season, all very probable. What then?

I think you put too much emphasis on the forward line. It is a lot harder to put together a reasonable defence than it is a forward line. By looking at any regular game you will see that the structure of any defence is very much dependant on the oppositions forwards. If they play tall we go tall if they play small we try to find the best combination to beat it. If the situation happens that Mead and Paxman retire and Morgan and Thurstans don't come on as we like we will be left with a very fragile backline in years to come. Sure it will be great to have some gun forwards but if the defence can't defend there isn't much use having them.

You maybe right, perhaps we do need another key forward but this should not be our focus with pick 15, maybe 63.

I would still have Tredrea, Cornes, Lade and Lockwood in front of Wakelin, Bassett, Bishop, Morgan and Thurstans with no doubt.

I just suppose we are going to have to agree to disagree on this topic, god help us if they pick another midfielder! )