The pick 4 deal

[angelopetraglia]

The father-son giant who convinced the Dogs to sell the farm Marc McGowan October 9, 2023 — 5.53pm

On the surface, the Western Bulldogs paid a whopping price for Gold Coast’s in-demand pick four.

The Dogs handed over three first-round picks on Monday – selections 10 and 17 this year, and their top one next year – while getting numbers 46 and 51 and a future third-rounder to complete their return.

No one else was willing to pay so much, but there was method to the (perceived) madness, and it all centres on a 200-centimetre kid by the name of Jordan Croft, son of 186-game Bulldog Matthew. More on him later.

List boss Sam Power was honest when he said the decision owed, in part, to how highly they, and everyone else, rate the top-end of this year’s draft crop. Recruiters believe there is a gap between the best eight or nine kids and the rest.

It is an eclectic bunch, from power-packed No.1 elect Harley Reid, to key forward Jed Walter, the silky Zane Duursma, Tasmanian midfielders Colby McKercher and Ryley Sanders, tall swingman Daniel Curtin, and gifted small forward Nick Watson.

Rivals believe Watson is firmly on the Bulldogs’ radar, and operated on the assumption for weeks that the Suns would score pick 10, which is already being hunted by the likes of North Melbourne and Melbourne.

Gold Coast plan to match bids on four excellent academy prospects – Walter, unicorn ruckman Ethan Read, midfielder Jake Rogers and speedster Will Graham – so this deal goes a significant way to them doing that. They will keep wheeling and dealing across the next week or so.

Whichever way the Dogs go, they should find a good one, but make no mistake, they did this because they expect Croft to nominate as father-son eligible. He is tipped to attract a first-round bid anywhere from about pick 10 through to the mid-teens

The 18-year-old forward-ruck, who is managed by leading agent Tom Petroro, has until the end of this month to make his call.

Power said they were “really keen” to secure Croft, but the highly touted teenager kept his cards closer to his chest when he spoke to this masthead at the draft combine at Marvel Stadium at the weekend.

“It really depends, to be honest. I’ve still got a little bit of time to decide, and talk to family [about] if I’m going to declare father-son,” Croft said. “I’ve always grown up going for the Bulldogs, so it would be an honour to play for that club, if they were going to take me. I just want to be able to play footy, wherever that is, whether that’s interstate or in Melbourne.”

That last line is the intriguing part.

Croft is the modern key-position archetype, at 200 centimetres and with impressive agility and endurance. He finished fourth in the two-kilometre time trial at the combine, taking barely six minutes to complete it. But he is light and will take time to develop.

The Bulldogs were once bereft of talls on their list, but these days are the envy of the competition, with an extraordinary collection of promising talls, including Aaron Naughton, Tim English, Sam Darcy, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, James O’Donnell and Jedd Busslinger.

That logjam is something Croft must consider when he makes his decision.

“I definitely need the time to develop. Being a taller player, I’ve definitely got to put on a little bit more weight to take on those bigger bodies at the next level,” he said. “But it’s a luxury for [coach Luke] Beveridge and the coaching staff to have so many talls, and definitely a benefit for the club.”

Croft kicked 23 goals in 11 games for the Calder Cannons this past season in the Coates Talent League and represented Vic Metro at the AFL Under-18 Championships, including a three-goal haul against South Australia.

For the Dogs, their chips are in. Those extra late picks from Gold Coast were also with Croft and matching a bid in mind, with their draft hand, after No.4, set to be wiped out if he does attract a bid in the first round.

But they are also committed to bringing in St Kilda’s Nick Coffield, and have expressed interest in contracted Demon James Harmes.

Link: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/...09-p5eavq.html

[angelopetraglia]

"Croft is the modern key-position archetype, at 200 centimetres and with impressive agility and endurance. He finished fourth in the two-kilometre time trial at the combine, taking barely six minutes to complete it. But he is light and will take time to develop."

That is quick for someone over 200cm tall. 3 min/km pace. The boy has some endurance.

[Go_Dogs]

Only just catching up on the news.

I voted for “should’ve kept our hand” but could’ve easily voted for “we’ve overpaid” however it’s early to say that with too much confidence until we see who we land, how all the bids land and the picks move, and then of course the performance of the players we select or otherwise would’ve been able to select if we hadn’t made the trade.

I realise our firsts we are trading are late firsts (and one of them you can call a second most likely) but it feels a lot of move up 6 spots or even 10 spots in the draft. If we land a generational talent, all will be forgotten.

[Twodogs]

The father-son giant who convinced the Dogs to sell the farm Marc McGowan October 9, 2023 — 5.53pm

On the surface, the Western Bulldogs paid a whopping price for Gold Coast’s in-demand pick four.

The Dogs handed over three first-round picks on Monday – selections 10 and 17 this year, and their top one next year – while getting numbers 46 and 51 and a future third-rounder to complete their return.

No one else was willing to pay so much, but there was method to the (perceived) madness, and it all centres on a 200-centimetre kid by the name of Jordan Croft, son of 186-game Bulldog Matthew. More on him later.

List boss Sam Power was honest when he said the decision owed, in part, to how highly they, and everyone else, rate the top-end of this year’s draft crop. Recruiters believe there is a gap between the best eight or nine kids and the rest.

It is an eclectic bunch, from power-packed No.1 elect Harley Reid, to key forward Jed Walter, the silky Zane Duursma, Tasmanian midfielders Colby McKercher and Ryley Sanders, tall swingman Daniel Curtin, and gifted small forward Nick Watson.

Rivals believe Watson is firmly on the Bulldogs’ radar, and operated on the assumption for weeks that the Suns would score pick 10, which is already being hunted by the likes of North Melbourne and Melbourne.

Gold Coast plan to match bids on four excellent academy prospects – Walter, unicorn ruckman Ethan Read, midfielder Jake Rogers and speedster Will Graham – so this deal goes a significant way to them doing that. They will keep wheeling and dealing across the next week or so.

Whichever way the Dogs go, they should find a good one, but make no mistake, they did this because they expect Croft to nominate as father-son eligible. He is tipped to attract a first-round bid anywhere from about pick 10 through to the mid-teens

The 18-year-old forward-ruck, who is managed by leading agent Tom Petroro, has until the end of this month to make his call.

Power said they were “really keen” to secure Croft, but the highly touted teenager kept his cards closer to his chest when he spoke to this masthead at the draft combine at Marvel Stadium at the weekend.

“It really depends, to be honest. I’ve still got a little bit of time to decide, and talk to family [about] if I’m going to declare father-son,” Croft said. “I’ve always grown up going for the Bulldogs, so it would be an honour to play for that club, if they were going to take me. I just want to be able to play footy, wherever that is, whether that’s interstate or in Melbourne.”

That last line is the intriguing part.

Croft is the modern key-position archetype, at 200 centimetres and with impressive agility and endurance. He finished fourth in the two-kilometre time trial at the combine, taking barely six minutes to complete it. But he is light and will take time to develop.

The Bulldogs were once bereft of talls on their list, but these days are the envy of the competition, with an extraordinary collection of promising talls, including Aaron Naughton, Tim English, Sam Darcy, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, James O’Donnell and Jedd Busslinger.

That logjam is something Croft must consider when he makes his decision.

“I definitely need the time to develop. Being a taller player, I’ve definitely got to put on a little bit more weight to take on those bigger bodies at the next level,” he said. “But it’s a luxury for [coach Luke] Beveridge and the coaching staff to have so many talls, and definitely a benefit for the club.”

Croft kicked 23 goals in 11 games for the Calder Cannons this past season in the Coates Talent League and represented Vic Metro at the AFL Under-18 Championships, including a three-goal haul against South Australia.

For the Dogs, their chips are in. Those extra late picks from Gold Coast were also with Croft and matching a bid in mind, with their draft hand, after No.4, set to be wiped out if he does attract a bid in the first round.

But they are also committed to bringing in St Kilda’s Nick Coffield, and have expressed interest in contracted Demon James Harmes.

Link: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/...09-p5eavq.html

What's a unicorn ruck?

[Scraggers]

What's a unicorn ruck?

A ruck with a horn

[angelopetraglia]

What's a unicorn ruck?

A 202cm ruckman who ran the third fastest time at the 2km draft combine 5:56. Only three people went under six minutes.

"And Walter mightn’t be the only Suns academy prospect in the top five, with Ethan Read continuing to surge up draft boards following his phenomenal game against Vic Metro on Sunday. A 200cm ruck, Read blew scouts away with his ability to cover the ground and play essentially as a fourth midfielder on his way to 23 disposals, nine marks (three contested) and 15 hit-outs."

[GVGjr]

How much pressure will the club and Sam Power be under if we perform badly next season like Freo did this year and the future pick ends up being in the top 8?

[bulldogtragic]

How much pressure will the club and Sam Power be under if we perform badly next season like Freo did this year and the future pick ends up being in the top 8?

Heads will roll. Whether Power is one of them will be whether he was directed to execute the trade or pushed it himself.

[azabob]

Heads will roll. Whether Power is one of them will be whether he was directed to execute the trade or pushed it himself.

Footy department heads don’t roll, you know this!

[bulldogtragic]

Footy department heads don’t roll, you know this!

He will do an even more serious review into himself. That’ll teach him!

[Grantysghost]

How much pressure will the club and Sam Power be under if we perform badly next season like Freo did this year and the future pick ends up being in the top 8?

Isn't that more likely than not on recent exposed form?
We did lose to West Coast, Hawthorn and struggled to get passed a Cats VFL side.
I actually have us outside the 8 next year. There are at least 8 sides I think are currently better than us.

We have better players, we don't play better though.

[Rocco Jones]

FWIW, with projections, it's looking like:
- pick 4 becomes 6
- pick 10 becomes 15
- pick 17 becomes 23

[Twodogs]

A 202cm ruckman who ran the third fastest time at the 2km draft combine 5:56. Only three people went under six minutes.

"And Walter mightn’t be the only Suns academy prospect in the top five, with Ethan Read continuing to surge up draft boards following his phenomenal game against Vic Metro on Sunday. A 200cm ruck, Read blew scouts away with his ability to cover the ground and play essentially as a fourth midfielder on his way to 23 disposals, nine marks (three contested) and 15 hit-outs."

Thanks Ang.

[Twodogs]

A ruck with a horn

A ruck who's been to uni to study corn.

[hujsh]

FWIW, with projections, it's looking like:
- pick 4 becomes 6
- pick 10 becomes 15
- pick 17 becomes 23

1751 points (6) vs 1927 (15+23)

Difference is worth pick 58