2019 Draft Watch

[Mofra]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

Strange that Champion Data haven't got Bergman in their top 30 picks.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl...2ce6a7869dd570

Pretty sure their data weights production over ceiling, which is why Mitch Honeychurch was rated 16th in his draft year and Bont wasn't rated at all.

We took Callan Ward based on his 'rate of improvement' and Bergman seems a similar type.

[Mofra]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

ESPN Phantom Draft (3 rounds)

https://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/28095715/updated-afl-phantom-draft-first-three-rounds

Bulldogs picks

14. Western Bulldogs: Cody Weightman (VIC)
Height, Weight: 178cm/75kg
Profile: Speedy small forward who makes something out of nothing. Weightman is dangerous at ground level, flies for marks, applies heavy forward pressure and hits the scoreboard.


53. Western Bulldogs: Dyson Hilder (SA)
Height, Weight: 195cm/93kg
Profile: Key defender who performed strongly during the Under-18 Championships and earned three SANFL League matches for North Adelaide. Hilder is difficult to beat one-on-one, reads the ball effectively in flight and takes intercept marks.

I asked KM why he rated Weightman ahead of Bergman (who he has going slightly later in his ratings), it came down mostly to need.

[mjp]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

I asked KM why he rated Weightman ahead of Bergman (who he has going slightly later in his ratings), it came down mostly to need.

See - I don't get this.

Didn't we recruit Cavarra last year to play the only role that Weightman can fill? Why would we draft another small, small forward type. And not that I don't like Bergman, but isn't he the same player as the Fergus?

I think something else is going on. I don't know what it is, but these small forwards/medium forwards being allocated to us when we have similar players already on the list just baffles me a bit.

That said, I don't know exactly WHAT we are planning on but to me Weightman is the same as Cavarra and Bergman similar to Dale and the same as Greene so why would we recruit them???

[mjp]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

https://indaily.com.au/sport/2015/07...-and-football/

That is an excellent article and provides a great deal of perspective on the challenges faced. The concept of '11 grandfathers' is one that non-indigenous people just can't seem to grasp and yet it is a fundamental principle of family structure...

And when people say things like "well, it's not really his uncle, it's more like his third cousin" (you hear this kind of chat a fair bit in WA but our indigenous population is a lot larger than it is in Melbourne) it just smacks of ignorance and - by extension, racism.

[Twodogs]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

That is an excellent article and provides a great deal of perspective on the challenges faced. The concept of '11 grandfathers' is one that non-indigenous people just can't seem to grasp and yet it is a fundamental principle of family structure...

And when people say things like "well, it's not really his uncle, it's more like his third cousin" (you hear this kind of chat a fair bit in WA but our indigenous population is a lot larger than it is in Melbourne) it just smacks of ignorance and - by extension, racism.

One of my kids is right into all the differences that those gender roles make for blackfellas and how it's different if you are a girl or a boy whether you are a cuz or an aunty or a bro or whatever. She tries to explain it to me but I have to admit to it not being the easiest thing to keep up with.


"no dad. it's like this.."

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

That is an excellent article and provides a great deal of perspective on the challenges faced. The concept of '11 grandfathers' is one that non-indigenous people just can't seem to grasp and yet it is a fundamental principle of family structure...

And when people say things like "well, it's not really his uncle, it's more like his third cousin" (you hear this kind of chat a fair bit in WA but our indigenous population is a lot larger than it is in Melbourne) it just smacks of ignorance and - by extension, racism.

Thanks for posting that mate, it was an amazing read. Port have always set the benchmark with their community engagement in the city schools (over the Crows at least, I don't know what clubs outside SA do), but I had no idea that they engaged so heavily with the remote communities.

Back on the Pickett topic, it's clear that we are scrambling to create the right environment for when we take JUH- what do you think the minimum setup looks like? We shifted Goodes to Ballarat, do we need to move him back/get in some similar indigenous mentors? Do we need to prioritise taking a few indigenous players in one hit?

Again on Pickett, I read an article that he has actually boarded at PAC (for at least the last two years), so would he be more prepared than most? He was apparently picked up by Gould and the two became inseparable and 'like brothers'. Theoretically, if we were so hell-bent on Pickett and managed to trade down and also get Gould, could this possibly be enough of a stop-gap support mechanism for him (maybe with some sort of indigenous community officer etc.)

It just feels like we have to start somewhere and with Martin and Wingard (and probably also Impey) turning us down, it seems like that start might have to come with an 18 year old (either this year or next). JUH sounds like a generational player, so we want to get it right and maybe Wingard/Martin was a part of trying to get sorted early, but we are just about out of time.

[divvydan]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

It's also possible that all this talk of us and Pickett is just someone informing the AFL that they are considering picking him with a first round selection, journos seeing that and looking at which clubs seem to have the most pressing need for his skill set and assuming they must've been the ones to tell the AFL to bring Pickett.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

It's also possible that all this talk of us and Pickett is just someone informing the AFL that they are considering picking him with a first round selection, journos seeing that and looking at which clubs seem to have the most pressing need for his skill set and assuming they must've been the ones to tell the AFL to bring Pickett.

Absolutely. There is plenty of guesswork going on and we would actually hope that our cards have firmly been held to our chest. Even today an article was published assuming we would be right into Ned Cahill for the same reasons.

Regardless, it is still worth a theoretical conversation. We have been overt in wanting to bring indigenous players and the logistics of that all is pretty important to get right.

[Mofra]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

See - I don't get this.

Didn't we recruit Cavarra last year to play the only role that Weightman can fill? Why would we draft another small, small forward type. And not that I don't like Bergman, but isn't he the same player as the Fergus?

I think something else is going on. I don't know what it is, but these small forwards/medium forwards being allocated to us when we have similar players already on the list just baffles me a bit.

That said, I don't know exactly WHAT we are planning on but to me Weightman is the same as Cavarra and Bergman similar to Dale and the same as Greene so why would we recruit them???

We tend to target the 'best available' in the first round, and if McAsey fell to us I'd expect us to take him. Ditto Dev.

Is Bergman really the same as Greene though? Green was a very low production pick who takes his marks in low % areas of the forward 50, and plays permanent forward. Bergman spends time on the wing and is arguably the longest kick in the draft pool, even floating into the backline.

Given Green has played a couple of games and Caverra can't get through a season on an AFL list as yet I don't think we can just bank on those two players becoming best 22 and base our list management decisions on that (although Dale seems to have Green's spot sewn up right now anyway). I'd hope we target a small pressure forward or winger with our pick 51 TBH as I still see them as positions of need.

[Mofra]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

It's also possible that all this talk of us and Pickett is just someone informing the AFL that they are considering picking him with a first round selection, journos seeing that and looking at which clubs seem to have the most pressing need for his skill set and assuming they must've been the ones to tell the AFL to bring Pickett.

First round draft picks get an invite to the 'first' draft day next Wednesday, he was one of our three invites. It's genuine interest.

[Axe Man]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

We shifted Goodes to Ballarat, do we need to move him back/get in some similar indigenous mentors?

According to his Linkedin page he shifted from the Ballarat role to Indigenous Programs Manager last year:

Link

[mjp]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

Back on the Pickett topic, it's clear that we are scrambling to create the right environment for when we take JUH- what do you think the minimum setup looks like? We shifted Goodes to Ballarat, do we need to move him back/get in some similar indigenous mentors? Do we need to prioritise taking a few indigenous players in one hit?

Hell - I don't know.

I've never been in an environment with 'just 1' indigenous player but I think it's safe to say an environment that looked something like:

1/. Club has a clear plan and direction that everyone understands and is on-board with.
2/. Mentor role - either part of the coaching staff or welfare dept.
3/. 'Senior' player. Been in the AFL for minimum of 5 years.
4/. Group of 3-4 'other' players, at least 1 of home has local family support.

Or something.

Recruiting the 3-4 'other' players could be 1x senior list, 1x rookie list and 2x VFL list I guess, but I would want all of them to be given as many opportunities to be 'together' during the 'normal' working day as possible.

[The Doctor]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

We recently advertised for someone to join the club to assist with our indigenous program. Haven't yet heard if we have filled that position.

[Twodogs]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

Hell - I don't know.

I've never been in an environment with 'just 1' indigenous player but I think it's safe to say an environment that looked something like:

1/. Club has a clear plan and direction that everyone understands and is on-board with.
2/. Mentor role - either part of the coaching staff or welfare dept.
3/. 'Senior' player. Been in the AFL for minimum of 5 years.
4/. Group of 3-4 'other' players, at least 1 of home has local family support.

Or something.

Recruiting the 3-4 'other' players could be 1x senior list, 1x rookie list and 2x VFL list I guess, but I would want all of them to be given as many opportunities to be 'together' during the 'normal' working day as possible.

We found ourselves in that situation a couple of times in the '80s. Magic MacLean* came down from St Marys and was the only indigenous player on our list for a few years until Les Bamblett came across from Melbourne but Les was from Lemnos in central Victoria so I don't know how much him and Madge would have had in common.


*One of MacLean's first games was against Essendon at Whitten Oval. A couple of Essendon supporters were standing next to me and the ball came towards Madge and his opponent. One of the Essendon sipporters said "This is the bloke I saw on the telly that I was telling you about. Watch him, watch him-hah! Did you see that?" as MacLean watches his opponent run past the ball and then taps it back between his own legs then turn on a penny pick the ball up and runs in the other direction. Ive never seen an opponent (Gary Foulds I think it was) look so confused. He was just about to pick up the ball and run out of defence but now his opponent is 20 metres goalside of him with the ball in his hands. The two Essendon supporters looked at each other and said "That can't be fair!"

[jeemak]

Re: 2019 Draft Watch

Thanks for posting that article BT, it took me a long while to get through it in between a few things these part few days, but what a ripping insight into a culture we should all do a bit more to know more about.