2018 Draft Watch

[Mofra]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

I hate to suggest this but Carlton need a good in and under mid which is where Wallis would be a good fit; as to help out Cripps. Would not like to lose Wallis but if it’s going to improve our list , worth exploring��

Wallis is a FA so they don't need to trade for him anyway, rumours suggest he's out the door weighing up offers from Essendon (his dad shares a car yard with an Essendon coterie member) and Carlton.

[Mofra]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

How about this to shake things up:

Assuming Carlton have the first pick and ours is about pick 5 we offer our 1st pick this year and next (Projected in the bottom 6) for Carlton's pick one and their pick 22 (originally our pick) this year?

That gives Lukosius and enough points for Rhylee West. Whatever we get for any departing players put us in a great spot to secure Khamis and a player or two via trades.

If Lukosius is as good as many are indicating he could very well be worth selling the farm for.

There's a certain ability to sell hope with a pick 1 that Carlton would want a premium for.

If we did a similar trade a couple of years ago we would have upgraded from Bont to Boyd, who was again touted as a 'once in a generation KPF'.

Traditionally we've lost out on trades, albeit we have a new team working for us this year. I'm leaning on keeping pick 5 and drafting the best available and using any FA compo picks for West, and increasingly Khamis too looks like he's climbing the ranks with some excellent performances.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

There's a certain ability to sell hope with a pick 1 that Carlton would want a premium for.

If we did a similar trade a couple of years ago we would have upgraded from Bont to Boyd, who was again touted as a 'once in a generation KPF'.

Traditionally we've lost out on trades, albeit we have a new team working for us this year. I'm leaning on keeping pick 5 and drafting the best available and using any FA compo picks for West, and increasingly Khamis too looks like he's climbing the ranks with some excellent performances.

Absolutely agree. If we could trade fringe players to slightly bump up the order with 41, 59 & 60 that would give us a good showing come draft night on top of 5, West & Khamis. Leaving room on the list for a delisted fee agent or a late state league pick. Meaning 7 changes at least.

[Axe Man]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

How about this to shake things up:

Assuming Carlton have the first pick and ours is about pick 5 we offer our 1st pick this year and next (Projected in the bottom 6) for Carlton's pick one and their pick 22 (originally our pick) this year?

That gives Lukosius and enough points for Rhylee West. Whatever we get for any departing players put us in a great spot to secure Khamis and a player or two via trades.

If Lukosius is as good as many are indicating he could very well be worth selling the farm for.

The number 1 pick hasn't been traded since Freo exchanged it for Trent Croad and Hawthorn went on to use it on Luke Hodge in 2001. It's not going to happen unless we ridiculously overpay.

[jeemak]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

I'm happy with pick five (or whatever it turns out to be) and West as a solid outcome for the first round or thereabouts. Use our first selection on the best available non-tall, bolster the midfield stocks with West.

[The Doctor]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

Some brief observations from the state games to date with a slant towards who might be a good fit for us

* West & Khamis have been discussed a lot. Both are racing up the leader board and look to be top 25 prospects. West possibly top 10.

* If Ben King (Metro) were available at our pick I wouldn't hesitate. Whilst we have key position depth how good is it actually? This guy can play both ends.

* Bailey Smith from Metro has all the tools. Can win the hard ball, wins a lot of the ball contested or uncontested and can kick it. He's a good size and is a footy nerd. Perfect fit for us.

* Xavier Duursma (Country) dashing half back. I really like this guy. Takes the game on but also an excellent pressure player.

* Luke Valente (SA) very good midfield player. Has similarities to Smith & also highly touted for his leadership.

* Rankine (SA) plays a bit like Nathan Brown

Waiting to see something at this level from Hately & Rozee (from SA), Taylor & Collier Dawkins (Metro)

[Bornadog]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

Who are the contenders to go No.1 in the draft?
Callum Twomey

AN EXCITING aspect of the opening three weeks of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships has been the form of the top talents.

The highly touted prospects are playing well and showing why they look like being early selections at this year's draft.
But who's looking like the No.1 pick? Jack Lukosius and Sam Walsh are the clear favourites, but there are some other names who could come into consideration for the club that finishes with the first selection.

Here's AFL.com.au's list of No.1 contenders.


Jack Lukosius
Tall forward
South Australia


The key forward has been good so far in the championships – he's booted seven goals in two games – without tearing a game apart just yet. His natural forward craft is excellent, he leads up at the ball and moves freely around the ground and is a brilliant set-shot for goal. Can also play in defence.

Recruiter: "The thing with Jack is his ability to lead and lead, and he always seems to find himself in a position to impact the game on such a consistent basis. It probably separates him from a lot of the others. He's a forward but he could play wing or half-back as well I think, he's such a usable player."

Sam Walsh
Midfielder
Vic Country

Walsh is the most consistent midfielder available: every week he turns up and you know what he's going to offer. He has the running ability, footy smarts and general temperament to be a long-term star. Has been a level above at the championships so far, averaging 28 disposals.

Recruiter: "His ability to get from contest to contest makes him a standout. He uses the ball so well and he's such a trustworthy player. He's had to play a little bit more as an inside midfielder at the championships with Vic Country's lack of depth in that area and he keeps fronting up. It's pleasing he's starting to work on that side of his game."

Ben King
Tall defender/forward
Vic Metro

King kicked the winning goal for Vic Metro last week and has played predominantly as a forward since early in the season. His athleticism, marking and ability to get the ball in the air and at ground level make him a special talent for a player his size. Has shown he can do it at both ends of the ground, too.

Recruiter: "He showed against Western Australia when he kicked five goals that he can dominate in attack and he was named best on ground against North Melbourne's VFL side as a defender. He's a genuine tall who can play in the ruck or at both ends of the ground so a club may look at him very early."

Tarryn Thomas
Midfielder/forward
Allies/Tasmania

Some recruiters believe Thomas is the best talent in the draft pool this year. The Tasmanian midfielder/forward dominated the recent under-18 Academy series and has been solid so far for the Allies. He's tall for a ball-winner, is a classy user and can play in a number of roles. North Melbourne is expected to have to use its first pick to secure the Next Generation Academy prospect.

Recruiter: "He might be worthy, but whether a club would ever bid its No.1 pick on a player is the question. They'd lose all the marketability and media that the No.1 draft pick gets. Tarryn might not be No.1 anyway but he'd be very close. He can play in any position, he's super competitive, he's clean and in traffic he has a fantastic step that gives him space and time. His division two form has been better than his division one form so far."

Nick Blakey
Tall forward/midfielder
Allies/NSW-ACT

Sydney will need to use its opening draft selection to acquire Blakey, but where will a bid come for him? Some scouts are adamant he belongs in the top-five category. He's 196cm and plays generally as a third tall forward but intends to be a midfielder in time. Has committed to joining the Swans as an Academy player.

Recruiter: "He's been hampered by injury and illness and we probably haven't seen the best of him yet. He's a real talent whose name I'm sure will be thrown around at the top."

Bailey Smith
Midfielder
Vic Metro

Smith's consistency, mix of inside and outside traits, good pace, excellent endurance and tireless work ethic bring him into the conversation with the best midfielders available. And because of that, if a club is at the top of the draft and is desperate for a midfielder, then he will have to be considered.

Recruiter: "It's weight of performance. He's a really competitive kid – he's got such an appetite for the game and the contest. He's an elite athlete who loves to compete. He's probably at the back-end of that No.1 chances group, but he's coming pretty quickly."

Max King
Tall forward
Vic Metro

He has been of action since April after requiring a knee reconstruction, but King won't be out of mind for recruiters with early draft selections. The key forward is arguably the most talented of the group, having booted 8.5 in a commanding TAC Cup game earlier this season for the Sandringham Dragons.

Recruiters: "I think he's in the discussion. It's a call that might be that he's not the No.1, but on talent if you go back to the start of the season he sat quite comfortably in the picture. He's such a high-end talent so has to still be talked about with that pick."

Izak Rankine
Small forward
South Australia

Rankine can light up a game like few others in the draft pool. He doesn't need many disposals to have an impact, which he showed with some brilliant moments in South Australia's opening game of the carnival. Not many players of 180cm get taken as the No.1 pick, but few are as exciting as Rankine.

Recruiter: "His ability to get separation through his athleticism and his footy smarts gives him such high game impact. He's been able to impact senior SANFL footy against SANFL-listed and AFL-listed players, so the fact he's done it at every level he's been challenged at, his talent is going to stack up."

[Axe Man]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

Any rule changes the AFL make may well dictate who we take in the draft, especially our first pick.

Rule changes will ‘dictate draft choices’

Rule changes aimed at clearing congestion will have a significant impact on the players selected and how they are ranked in this year's national draft, according to some senior club officials and recruiters.

As the AFL considers the most consequential rule changes in recent times, clubs are already discussing how players could be valued differently, depending on whether the interchange is reduced further – from 90 to perhaps 60 rotations next year – and if the AFL takes the radical step of introducing compulsory "starting positions" at stoppages, a change that has already been trialled in match simulation by Hawthorn.

While there has been a view that key forwards have less value in 2018 than in previous eras due to the congestion and numbers they confront, the introduction of anti-congestion measures – such as forcing three or four players to be inside the 50-metre arcs at each end – arguably would make taller forwards, such as the highly rated brothers Max and Ben King and South Australian Jack Lukosius, more valuable.

But Brisbane Lions head of football David Noble, whose club is certain to have an early pick in this year's draft, said the reduction in interchange rotations loomed as the most significant rule change in influencing who the teams selected in the draft.

Noble said the Lions, who would have pick No.2 in this year's draft on current ladder positions, were definitely factoring in potential changes in the rules in their discussions about who to draft. "We're taking it all into consideration. You need to keep flexibility in your approach."

Noble nominated "your rotations" – any reduction in interchanges – as the most consequential change in influencing the players drafted in November. He said clubs had to weigh up "the power athlete versus a more aerobic running capacity" in their assessments of potential draftees.

The AFL's plan is to make any rule changes in October, giving the clubs time to make decisions before the national draft. They would likely be made before the trading period, too.

That the national under-18 championships are being played in June – in which Lukosius, Ben King (Max King is recovering from a knee reconstruction) and Walsh are among the cream of the draft crop – has created more discussion among clubs about the impact of new rules.

Sam Walsh, a Geelong Falcons midfielder with a huge aerobic capacity but little leg speed and a likely top-four pick, is another player who some recruiters think might gain from fewer rotations.
Noble and officials from other clubs also noted that flexible players – midfielders who, like Dustin Martin and Patrick Dangerfield, can play forward – would be enhanced, too, by reduced rotations, because they could stay on the ground.

Collingwood recruiting manager Derek Hine said of the potential rule changes, such as an interchange reduction: "It may well result in some players not getting picked."

Hine said it was possible that the introduction of starting position might help the key forwards, such as the King brothers. "If they start deep and there's only two players in there (inside 50m arc), it's going to provide them with more space to move into."

A list manager from another club said reducing interchanges would mean clubs would "need players with high endurance or the ability to play multiple positions".

But he added that the possibility of starting positions at stoppages was "harder to quantify, because the coaches still play a role in how that plays out".

The struggles of young key forwards, including top picks Paddy McCartin, Tom Boyd and Josh Schache, has seen more questioning of the value of tall forwards, and a view that the TAC Cup does not provide an accurate form guide for what talls produce at AFL level.

[Bornadog]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

Any rule changes the AFL make may well dictate who we take in the draft, especially our first pick.

Rule changes will ‘dictate draft choices’

A list manager from another club said reducing interchanges would mean clubs would "need players with high endurance or the ability to play multiple positions".

Exactly what will happen when you reduce interchanges.

AFL #noidea

[Daughter of the West]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

Some brief observations from the state games to date with a slant towards who might be a good fit for us
* Bailey Smith from Metro has all the tools. Can win the hard ball, wins a lot of the ball contested or uncontested and can kick it. He's a good size and is a footy nerd. Perfect fit for us.

And he fulfills the Western Bulldogs criteria of need to have a Bailey (if not multiples of) on all our lists at all times.

[Axe Man]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

And he fulfills the Western Bulldogs criteria of need to have a Bailey (if not multiples of) on all our lists at all times.

And Smith in case Roarke is delisted and Clay retires.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

There's a certain ability to sell hope with a pick 1 that Carlton would want a premium for.

If we did a similar trade a couple of years ago we would have upgraded from Bont to Boyd, who was again touted as a 'once in a generation KPF'.

Traditionally we've lost out on trades, albeit we have a new team working for us this year. I'm leaning on keeping pick 5 and drafting the best available and using any FA compo picks for West, and increasingly Khamis too looks like he's climbing the ranks with some excellent performances.

In terms of draft value, they would be at a disadvantage so it's not going to happen but I was offering a suggestion that if we want a good player lets roll the dice and get one that has been highly touted by many. I have no problem keeping our pick or looking to turn it into something else.

[Mofra]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

In terms of draft value, they would be at a disadvantage so it's not going to happen but I was offering a suggestion that if we want a good player lets roll the dice and get one that has been highly touted by many. I have no problem keeping our pick or looking to turn it into something else.

Power has been vocal about being "active" at the trade table this year and we have swapped picks in the past.
I'm not hugely confident in our trading history though and a lot of draft watchers think this draft is fantastic in the top 10 then drops away quickly, especially after the second round.
We have an opportunity at a rolled-gold A grade mid and we desperately need one so unless we're offered significant overs I'm really hesitant to play with pick 5.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

The problem is the 'silver bullet' No 1 draft pick key forward never seems to work out the way it's supposed to.
Patton, Boyd, McCartin, Watts, all number one picks.

The TAC cup competition rules flatter their performances, and they often struggle with the congestion and double teaming they receive at AFL level. If you re-did each of those drafts, none of those players would still be the number 1 pick.

Often the best players are taken later. Bont at 4. Dusty Martin at 3. Buddy Franklin at 5. Macrae at 6. Wingard at 6.Gaff at 4.

The chances are we'll get just as good a player, if not better, (roll of the dice) at pick 5.

AND we already have a number 1 pick key forward and a number 2 pick key forward on our list.

I'd rather spend the time developing these two as key forwards and get a rolled gold midfielder.

Remember Boyd is 3 years younger than Ben Brown, and never gets to play a whole game as a forward which is where he plied his craft as a junior, and Schache is 5 years younger. Still plenty of time for those two to become serious players. I see English as our long term ruckman and hopefully these two as our big forwards.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2018 Draft Watch

Power has been vocal about being "active" at the trade table this year and we have swapped picks in the past.
I'm not hugely confident in our trading history though and a lot of draft watchers think this draft is fantastic in the top 10 then drops away quickly, especially after the second round.
We have an opportunity at a rolled-gold A grade mid and we desperately need one so unless we're offered significant overs I'm really hesitant to play with pick 5.

I agree that pick 5 should be valued extremely highly by us. Great teams can be built around 2eally good draft hauls in succession. With Naughton and Richards looking the goods (and English coming along nicely from the previous year), its really important we get more genuine quality in this year. With West and Khamis at a discount, pick 5ish gives us an opportunity that mustn't be underappreciated.