Who do we target in this years draft?

[Asgardian]

Who really knows as the rules pertaining to them change when they like

 

[Toots Hibbert]

Staggering that Matty P gave no opinion on what to look for trade or draft according G Parker on 5cc!

That was also the approach taken by Damien Hardwick when he took over at Richmond.

 

[Portology]

This season has been a good time to reflect on this, going back to 2000, which was the first time we really had the option to bottom out and go for picks.

Midway through the year, Port and St Kilda were the worst two sides and we played off in Melbourne for the `worst side in the comp' title, which we `won' by being absolutely thrashed on the day - it was our lowest point. 1 win, 1 draw and 9 losses at the end of Round 11, 16th place.

From there, a lot of sides would've laid low, got their draft picks and move on, but Port didn't. We won 6 out of the next 11 matches, including a thriller against Carlton in which Matty Primus basically won the captaincy by forcing a clearance culminating on a Peter Burgoyne goal. This basically set us off on a home and away rampage that eventually culminated in the 2004 premiership.

Final placings: St Kilda 16th, Collingwood 15th, Port 14th.

So what did we miss out on by not tanking?
Draft picks
#1 Nick Riewoldt
#2 Justin Koschitzke
#3 Alan Didak
#4 (trade for Darryl Wakelin).

Here we are ten years later, and Port are shit again. This time Primus won the coaching job with late wins instead of the captaincy. The grand final is contested by the two sides that tanked in 2000, and all of the players they got before we could've picked played in both grand finals. So yeah, that hurts us on field - you can see it.

But...you could argue that the damage done at a club level at Collingwood & St Kilda, by the complacency that sets in when you think that finishing bottom is `OK', is why both Collingwood and St Kilda have had to lose two grand finals in the past ten years, and draw one (a double loss), to even get to this point.

So, I dunno. Its an interesting question, and I don't think tanking is as clearcut and obvious an option as it might seem. There's something to be said for continuing to try.

interesting theory that tanking taints club culture, but what if the Saints took Didak not Spudzitchke at #2 (yeah, I know, you're going to suggest the Lions win 4 in a row... but hey looking at the field between #3 and Shaun at #12 we may well have gone the Spud ourselves at #3 instead of trading for Wakes. imagine that epic FAIL and its impact on our 'club culture').

agree OP really is a massive question for us. who is likely to be left at our first pick, how to choose from whats left on the table: 'best available KP who slides unexpectedly OR best available mid left from the pack of roughly 10-12 mids listed elsewhere'.

 

[TheSuper6of06]

Arrrrrrghh.

Jed Lamb. Forward--> Mid. Robbie Gray-ish

Clean below knees/pick up, clean hands in traffic. Has pace.

Option @ 16.

[YOUTUBE] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogMO8bLIumk [/YOUTUBE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogMO8bLIumk

 

[Peck]

I'd have to say, 2000 is the only year that I've seen the no. 1 draft pick be so ridiculously far in front of the rest of the field. Didak is a decent player, but other than that... geez.

 

[Adz2332]

ok might be a stupid suggestion but wouldnt you rather them target a South Aussie to take away this bloody go home factor?

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

Arrrrrrghh.

Jed Lamb. Forward--> Mid. Robbie Gray-ish

Clean below knees/pick up, clean hands in traffic. Has pace.

Option @ 16.

Fixed it for ya!

[youtube]ogMO8bLIumk[/youtube]

 

[Ford Fairlane]

The good thing about this phantom draft is Smith, Darling, Hallahan and Lycett are all available at our pick. The bad thing is we overlook them all for a tall HBF (McCarthy).

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

I like the look of Lamb - not sure about his kicking to targets though. A bit Kane Cornes-esque... great hands and speed though.

This is my order of want (excluding those that aren't at all a possibility):

Brodie Smith
Jack Darling
Jed Lamb
Mitch Hallahan

 

[Peck]

I think we need to draft a tall backman in this draft. Not with our first rounder, but mm.

More forward/mid types would go alright as well.

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

Really? With Chaplin, Carlisle, Trengove, Cornes, Salter, Stewart, Pettigrew and Moore and Pittard from last year's draft that we're all playing back, I think that's something we definitely gotta stop drafting.

edit: I suppose not all of them can be considered "tall" backs.

 

[dav3]

I like the look of Lamb - not sure about his kicking to targets though. A bit Kane Cornes-esque... great hands and speed though.

yeah i was gonna say..... he missed a lot of targets, and seemed to just throw it on the boot and kick it straight down the ground a lot. good hands and pace, but we need guys who can hit a target

 

[Phhht]

The good thing about this phantom draft is Smith, Darling, Hallahan and Lycett are all available at our pick. The bad thing is we overlook them all for a tall HBF (McCarthy).

Yeah queried the poster why he believed that we would take a tall defender. Says we dont have that much depth in that part of the ground. Told him we had less 'depth' through the midfield and he said he still saw us taking McCarthy as he saw him as a future star.... Nothing against the kid but there is NO WAY we would overlook B Smith if he was available. (Well unless in some parallel universe Sam Day or Swallow slide).

I am DESPERATE for B Smith to fall to us. Bloody mob up the road will pounce for sure if he gets to 14 UNLESS Polec slides also (doubt it).

Bloody tanking, hate the thought of doing it but jeez if we had of lost 6 of the last 7 (cant come to the thought of losing to the crowies) we would have a genuine shot at guys like Smith, Polec, Gaff, Atley or Lynch.

 

[Steve Dore]

Staggering that Matty P gave no opinion on what to look for trade or draft according G Parker on 5cc!

Staggering that a coach should play his cards close to his chest?

 

[wapower]

The best available midfielder on our draft board with every single pick we have.

 

[Adz2332]

There is ZERO chance of us getting smith.. ZERO.....

Crows will take him if he slides.. that simple

 

[FishingRick04]

Staggering that a coach should play his cards close to his chest?

No staggering that Mathew Primus wouldn't have advised our recruiting staff on what he wants? Seems Toots was saying Hardwick did the same.

Mattress obviously knows what he's doing, but the control freak in me would be saying I will be at trade week let alone advise what type of players I want to draft.

 

[Steve Dore]

No staggering that Mathew Primus wouldn't have advised our recruiting staff on what he wants? Seems Toots was saying Hardwick did the same. ......

OK, I misunderstood your post. Wouldn't be the first time.

I thought you meant that Primus would not give his opinion on what the club was looking for in trading or drafting to some flog on Five Double Crow.

Maybe Primus has no say in it anyway.

 

[Portology]

ok might be a stupid suggestion but wouldnt you rather them target a South Aussie to take away this bloody go home factor?

I'd treat that as a tiebreaker only. Seems to me kids from WA are less prone to the disease than Vic-born mercenaries pumping their tyres. Something to do with only 2 clubs available for bidding wars (of course there are genuine cases eg Griffin from the cows).

I've been on the case for major change in our midfield much of the year, so let me be inconsistent yet again (!) and suggest:

darling as a pavlich-like mid+forward. sounds a great plus to our rotations.

a 'balancer' for someone like Gray who can also play forward and mid.
lets us change a mid or forward matchup on the day very flexibly.

could play round 1, if as probable Ebo & Mots don't come up for their very different reasons.

potentially cam, phillips, darling, stewart, schulz, gray*
massive change to our forward 6 in just 12 months

*if gray starts midfield or on the bench, pearce

 

[FishingRick04]

OK, I misunderstood your post. Wouldn't be the first time.

I thought you meant that Primus would not give his opinion on what the club was looking for in trading or drafting to some flog on Five Double Crow.

Maybe Primus has no say in it anyway.

Geoff Parker is our recruiting manager who was interviewed on 5aa. I don't want to pick on anymore people so I'll leave it at that

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

I'd treat that as a tiebreaker only. Seems to me kids from WA are less prone to the disease than Vic-born mercenaries pumping their tyres. Something to do with only 2 clubs available for bidding wars (of course there are genuine cases eg Griffin from the cows).

I've been on the case for major change in our midfield much of the year, so let me be inconsistent yet again (!) and suggest:

darling as a pavlich-like mid+forward. sounds a great plus to our rotations.

a 'balancer' for someone like Gray who can also play forward and mid.
lets us change a mid or forward matchup on the day very flexibly.

could play round 1, if as probable Ebo & Mots don't come up for their very different reasons.

potentially cam, phillips, darling, stewart, schulz, gray*
massive change to our forward 6 in just 12 months

*if gray starts midfield or on the bench, pearce

Yeah, Darling is only my second preference by the SLIGHTEST margin and that's cos Smith could be the midfielder to push our midfield into being one of the better midfielders (if healthy - big if).

Darling seems more likely to reach us at Pick 16 however, so my fingers are crossed for that.

 

[TheSuper6of06]

Fixed it for ya!

Thanks for putting the link up Bernie !

Geoff Parker is our recruiting manager who was interviewed on 5aa. I don't want to pick on anymore people so I'll leave it at that

What did he say Rick? We're picking best available or for needs?

 

[Steve Dore]

Geoff Parker is our recruiting manager who was interviewed on 5aa. .....

Oh, that G Parker.

 

[FishingRick04]

Thanks for putting the link up Bernie !



What did he say Rick? We're picking best available or for needs?

I'm not going to bag him, but his interview was very uninspiring. He didn't sound confident and he didn't say much at all.

he did answer the question and said matty has said nothing to him about trade week and players or the draft.

As for players, he's either good at poker and is making out he knows very little, OR, he knows very little. Other than we are picking the best available, whoever that is!

For me, he didn't fill me with joy or confidence.

 

[Fazualdo]

With a lot of clubs talking down getting a ruck, is there any chance that Lyckett could slide to our first 2nd round pick? - or is it just wishful thinking.

I think ruck is our most immediate concern, but no kid is going to jump into that void - still wouldn't mind Giles with our later picks, but I thought GC prelisted him?

Take the best player available who doesn't have injury concerns, just no back flankers or forward pocket players please!!! I think KPB is covered ok for now and wouldn't really want one unless he was outstanding.

A bit of mungral wouldn't go astray either.