Rating The Draft 2018

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

I think a lot of us who follow the junior players prior to the draft might have been a touch underwhelmed by some of our selections.
We look at the list, identify the gaps and then look for players that might be available around our selections

So I think most of us would have thought a key forward/ruckman might have been a good selection for us and probably a key defender and a small forward plus of course knowing we had Smith and West right in the mix with early selections to address some midfield quality and depth.

We had these on the wish list because Redpath, Roughead and Campbell were gone from a key forward and ruckman perspective, we lost Dahlhaus as a midfielder and small forward and we lost Adams and Collins as key defenders. I think we were also a couple of genuine midfielders light this year as well.
Having picked up Lloyd and Duryea it sort of offset the loss of Clay Smith and Biggs but we still had some gaps to address

The club seems to have placed a premium on players with great attitudes this year which is of course always important but we probably found it even more necessary this year after a couple of lean seasons with a few distracted players.

So we landed Smith and West which will address our midfield talent and depth, we then landed a pacy mid sized defender in Vandermeer which was a bit of a surprise to me to have him selected so early particularly in a spot we have some depth in, then it was Ben Cavarra who might have also been selected a bit earlier than ideal and we finished off the night by adding Will Hayes to the senior list when maybe a rookie spot might have been a better option.

Please don't take that as a knock on the players or the clubs approach but we did pass up some talented players to grab the guys we did.

We also traded some picks which indicated we were working off a pre determined list of players.

With Fremantle we traded picks 30 and 57 and received picks 34 and and 41 which looks decent on paper but I think in the process we overlooked a few players that might have addressed some gaps in the playing list

Pick 30 became pick 32 and Fremantle nabbed Luke Valente with it who is highly regarded for his leadership and can play a few positions.
The pick 34 we received from Fremantle became pick 37 and we used that on Vandermeer. In between those picks Briggs a ruckman, Williams a forward/ruckman and Berry who I think we were interested in were selected by other clubs
Briggs would probably have been matched by GWS and maybe we didn't rate Williams but either one of them would have addressed gaps in the list. There was also the likes of Bytel, Taylor, McFadyen, Koschitzke and Woodcock available.

After selecting both Vandermeer (37) and Cavarra (45) we traded pick 46 to North for a pick in the 3rd round next year which is a sign that best available was not our focus and we intended on using our last pick on Hayes. North promptly used that on Curtis Taylor.

We can't knock the players we selected and all of them come to us with first rate attitudes and I'm confident they will be fully focused but I think the notion of addressing gaps in the playing list was superseded somewhat by the need to get players with very specific traits and attitude.

I think we did well and it's now up to the club to develop the players to be their best.

Good post, thanks.

I had Valente and Taylor in my top 20 (I'm a hack, sometimes watcher but some clubs wanted these guys and they have talent and have come through the elite pathway) while I know a lot of us also rated Woodcock after his very impressive SANFL finals series. Indeed, everyone I spoke to who watch North in those games mentioned him.

Hopefully our decisions are sound, but we definitely took an approach and overlooked some highly rated players.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

A good summation and some insight into all of the players we drafted (from the AFL Draft Central website):

https://www.afldraftcentral.com.au/2018/11/29/afl-draft-review-western-bulldogs/

[GVGjr]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

Now that the dust has settled and we've had a bit more of a chance to reflect on our additions during the trade and draft period I'm wondering if we missed a chance to add some more experience to the playing list during that frantic 2nd day of the draft.

Bailey Smith was a gift for us, Rhylee West an almost free hit, Laitham Vandermeer and exciting prospect because of his ability to take the game on, Ben Cavara addressed a gap with his ability to play as a small forward and Will Hayes had been under our nose for a few years now.

On the rookie list we already had Roarke Smith and we then added Lachlan Young a 190cm defender, Jordon Sweet a ruckman and we had done a lot of work with Buku Khamis who is another 190cm defender.

What I don't quite get is why we traded pick 46 this year for an unknown 3rd round pick next year. We might have some father son picks in mid but this was the strong draft and there were some very good players still available

While I get we had Will Hayes in our sights and got him with a much later pick ad that we probably rated him very highly but we could have landed the previously highly rated Curtis Taylor or someone like Jacob Koschitzke who would have added a bit of depth to our key position options.
That's not a knock on Hayes but I suspect he would have been an ideal rookie list selection for us.

That said, I also don't get why we didn't look to bring in one more player during the trade period with some senior experience?

Other than those observations we have really brought in players with great attitudes and our recruiting team should be well pleased

I'll probably go to the East West day next Saturday and then the family day at the Whitten Oval the week after to cast an eye on our new recruits.

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

Because we were committed to Khamis, we couldn't actually take any other player until we were certain he could not be taken by someone else.

This is clearly the reason we traded out pick 46, but kept a spot available. We then used the last spot on Hayes, when we knew Buku would come to us as a rookie.

While we could have taken one of the players you mention, it would have required us to forfeit the option on Khamis if anyone had made a bid.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

I, like a few others, probably fell in love with the idea of getting at least one of the highly rated bulldog supporting players available (especially O'Hallaran, Butters, McHenry) and from all reports we were certainly into them (O'Hallaran and McHenry had apparently toured WO).

I wonder if we tap them on the shoulder or give their management a bit of a "See you in two years" wink. If any of these players come on we should certainly be asking the question.

McHenry will be the one that I think will be very gettable. The Crows are obviously becoming aware of Eddie Betts's football mortality, because they added about a trillion small forwards in the draft period. They already have Lachlan Murphy knocking the door down (who has been pretty awesome when he has got a call up) and they added Stengle, McAdam, and McHenry.

If Betts stays fit they will all get very limited opportunities in the next few years and you would have to assume Murphy is first in line and that McAdam and Stengle will be likely to be way ahead of McHenry (both mature agers). Random fun fact: just found out McAdam holds the record for the running vertical jump with Nicnat and also ran 2.89 in his draft year (2015).

I have no idea how Doedee (a native Victorian and first rounder) wasn't on more opposition clubs radars after he was killing it at SANFL level but couldn't get a gig for two years at Adelaide (who had a rock solid backline). If they were able to keep Lever and didn't have a Bulldoglike injury run he likely still wouldn't have got a call up. Hopefully McHenry is left to play in the 2's and we can pounce this time.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

Nice that someone has bothered to do so in the meeedya - all the others are too busy fapping themselves over Essendon 'stealing' Mosquito.

Who Essendon terminated his contract early today. No one wins Trade Week like Essendon & Dodoro.

[Bornadog]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

According to Matthew Lloyd - he has redone the 2018 draft:

7. Tarryn Thomas (North Melbourne)
6. Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)
5. Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)
4. Max King (St Kilda)
3. Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs)
2. Ben King (Gold Coast)
1. Sam Walsh (Carlton)

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

According to Matthew Lloyd - he has redone the 2018 draft:

7. Tarryn Thomas (North Melbourne)
6. Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)
5. Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)
4. Max King (St Kilda)
3. Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs)
2. Ben King (Gold Coast)
1. Sam Walsh (Carlton)

Rankine falling from grace.

[The Doctor]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

Rankine falling from grace.

I'd take him in a heart beat. He would be perfect in our set up.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

Was very interesting to see Ben King finish outside the top 10 in gold coasts b&f.

He and Smith were our targets. I’ve always been indifferent about which one was best. 4 weeks ago I’d have probably decided King. Right now I’d have Smith over anyone in that draft. End of the day, with Jamarra and Darcy coming in, Smith was the perfect choice for us.

Edit: I know King was off the board at our choice, but reports were we were 50:50 on the two.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

I'd take him in a heart beat. He would be perfect in our set up.

What’s are they asking for in return?

[Mofra]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

Was very interesting to see Ben King finish outside the top 10 in gold coasts b&f.

He and Smith were our targets. I’ve always been indifferent about which one was best. 4 weeks ago I’d have probably decided King. Right now I’d have Smith over anyone in that draft. End of the day, with Jamarra and Darcy coming in, Smith was the perfect choice for us.

Edit: I know King was off the board at our choice, but reports were we were 50:50 on the two.

Reports were we would have taken Rozee before those two.
Bullet dodged - I'd have Ben or Bailey before him.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

Reports were we would have taken Rozee before those two.
Bullet dodged - I'd have Ben or Bailey before him.

Watching the replay. A part from squibing it, when he got it he seemed not under pressure to run a ring of Rozee. I have no idea what he was doing unless he felt inferred pressure all the time.

[The Doctor]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

Reports were we would have taken Rozee before those two.
Bullet dodged - I'd have Ben or Bailey before him.

we would have taken Rankine ahead of all of them as well.

BT - the cost for Rankine would still be quite high I suspect. GC should be fighting hard to keep him otherwise what is the point of their existence?

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Rating The Draft 2018

we would have taken Rankine ahead of all of them as well.

BT - the cost for Rankine would still be quite high I suspect. GC should be fighting hard to keep him otherwise what is the point of their existence?

Broadcast deal value?