2024 Draft Watch

[kickit2Koly]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Gross is talked up as an athletic type and he's certainly tough, but he stops and props far too often when he gets the ball for mine.

must admit I haven’t seen a lot of Gross, just basing it off his combine numbers which weren’t outstanding. 3.19 for the 20m and nearly 7 mins for the 2km.

[The Doctor]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

must admit I haven’t seen a lot of Gross, just basing it off his combine numbers which weren’t outstanding. 3.19 for the 20m and nearly 7 mins for the 2km.

I don't see it with him. Hence bypassing him with the selections in my earlier post.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Back to Reid, in my view at best he could be a Butters or Treloar type. At worst Zac Bailey. He will play a lot of AFL football. If The Age journo is correct and Reid slides to us then no one will be happier than me. It's a good debate.

I wonder which player Woofers think would be a realistic target and who they would be prepared to part with our F1 & 17 for. Over to you Woofers.

I have two unrealistic targets I would gladly offer our pick 17 and a F1 for and they are Sam Lalor and Leo Lombard.
Lalor wouldn't address our small forward options but provide a powerful midfielder/forward option.
Lombard is a jet. GC Suns will be ecstatic to land him and he's way out of our price range. If I had an early pick the Suns would be paying a premium for him. Lonbard tested sensationally at the combine.
Then there is Isaac Kako who is someone I'd offer pick 25 and a F1 for but there is no way Essendon let him get through. He would certainly address our small forward challenge.

A more realistic target might be Alixander Tauru who despite being a bit undersized for a key defender will just find a way to make it work. Pick 17 and a F1 might be overpaying though but sometimes you need pay up for

For those who haven't seen Lombard have a look at the YT clip

[mjp]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

I think Reid is a jet and I can't be swayed away from that. He is exactly what we need in our forward half and we are not going to find such a clever player at any of our current picks. Well I can't see it. If we go into 2025 and our forward line smalls are VDM, McNeill, Sanders, Scott, West et al, none of them with natural forward craft I will cry, again. I do think he will become a damaging midfielder in time.

I don't disagree with the assessment of our forwards but we've clearly zigged and gone big when others zagged. We need players down there who can simply lock it in and try to take advantage of 2nd chance opportunities...I'm not in love with the names you mention either but think McNeil is OK (not a forward) and West has actually developed good craft...

it is the biggest weakness on our list. The fact we have neglected recruiting genuine small/medium forwards so much has forced us to manufacture forwards like the aforementioned players and contributed to the disgruntlement of A grade mids like Macrae, Dunkley and Smith to leave the club. For Chrissakes we even played Daniel in the forward line in that debacle of a final v Hawthorn. It is seriously poor list management. Would you be ok with it if we don't make a bold play and just accept whatever small forwards are left at our later natural picks? If not how would you address it?

I don't think we've neglected it - recent high picks on Weightman and Clarke show this - but we still lack a genuine small. We tried with Aiden O'Driscoll but concussion...I have no words for the mid-season draft when Craven was sitting there and we let Brisbane have him (I'm biased of course). Who else COULD we have selected??

As for the proposed 2025 line-up, I'm not sure "OK with it" would be my reaction but right now I'm more focussed on getting some difference makers into the mids (yes, I'm looking at you Cody Weightman) rather than worry about the forwards right now.

I genuinely think we're OK up forward right now - I would LOVE a genuine small forward but I just haven't seen any...everyone is going to say Kako and I get that but he's out of reach...who else even is there?? I mean you're saying Reid, but...Trying to pluck the Clarke's of the world is not going to work...you need to pick some natural hunters down there who are both clever with the footy but really enjoy the chase/tackle/create chaos element of the role...

Debating this in terms of our team selection for the Hawthorn game is probably not worth anyones time - mistakes were made, what can I say...we were all VERY surprised by the selection of Harmes ahead of Macrae and the non-selection of West...I don't know. West had been making a go of occupying an interceptor and still getting the footy so, maybe even that simple decision changes things. Pretty sure I'm not renowned as much of a West fan but he has been doing the job.

Back to Reid, in my view at best he could be a Butters or Treloar type. At worst Zac Bailey. He will play a lot of AFL football. If The Age journo is correct and Reid slides to us then no one will be happier than me. It's a good debate.

At worst Zac Bailey? Wowsers.

I'm going to have to watch some games because I just haven't seen that at ALL! I love the conversation mate!

[GVGjr]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

You know I love you Doc but you want to give up 2x first round picks for 180cm player who isn't a midfielder and hasn't laid a tackle since he played Auskick?

I don't see it. To be fair, I don't always see it and haven't watched as much junior footy as usual this year but I did watch the champs and I'm pretty underwhelmed by this idea...

I LIKE the idea of targeting guys who kick goals but I'm not sure about two first round picks for Reid.

Just on Reid, it's a good observation by you but his tackling might not be that bad.

In 23 he averaged 4.9 tackles in 10 games for the Dragons
In 24 it was 2.3 in 9 games.

It was for Vic Metro and at the Championship where he basically stopped tackling with an average of just 1 per game.

[lemmon]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Back to Reid, in my view at best he could be a Butters or Treloar type. At worst Zac Bailey. He will play a lot of AFL football. If The Age journo is correct and Reid slides to us then no one will be happier than me. It's a good debate.

I wonder which player Woofers think would be a realistic target and who they would be prepared to part with our F1 & 17 for. Over to you Woofers.

I'm also not big on Reid - I wouldn't have him in my top 30. I just think it's a stretch for clubs to take someone so early who is that small and doesn't look particularly quick. I think his best work is in the phone box - great hands and he's a deft kick - but it'll be a struggle to become a centre-square midfielder with his physique and without seeming to have great burst.

Maybe he becomes a great gut runner and projects as a Steele Sidebottom-style winger? I'd be looking in a different direction at 17.

Interesting question about trading up, I wouldn't give two firsts to get there, but Taj Hotton is the one I'd be making some calls about shuffling up the board for. I think he starts as a small forward but settles as a high half-forward / winger. He's quick, agile, sticks his head over it and is really good in the air for a guy his size.

[mighty_west]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Don't know a lot about any of the players but watched some footage on Reid, he kind of reminds me of a right footed Nick Dal Santo, very neat without being super quick, very outside player.

[mjp]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Don't know a lot about any of the players but watched some footage on Reid, he kind of reminds me of a right footed Nick Dal Santo, very neat without being super quick, very outside player.

That's a comparison I can 100% get behind.

[mjp]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Just on Reid, it's a good observation by you but his tackling might not be that bad.

In 23 he averaged 4.9 tackles in 10 games for the Dragons
In 24 it was 2.3 in 9 games.

It was for Vic Metro and at the Championship where he basically stopped tackling with an average of just 1 per game.

To be fair (and I said this) I've really only watched his championships games. I value Doc's views and probably only responded to his post because his assessment of Reid really caught me by surprise...I was certainly not expecting him to be top of the tree!

[mjp]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

...Taj Hotton is the one I'd be making some calls about shuffling up the board for. I think he starts as a small forward but settles as a high half-forward / winger. He's quick, agile, sticks his head over it and is really good in the air for a guy his size.

...he's coming off an ACL.

3rd round.

[kruder]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Ried for me on the vision is somewhere between a taller Caleb Daniel and Farren Ray. I'm not sure thats the kind of player we are looking for and would be hesitant to pay up with multiple first round picks to get.

[Uninformed]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Lombard is a jet.

For those who haven't seen Lombard have a look at the YT clip

Your 'cool to drool' phrase is particularly appropriate here. Lombard is Dusty reborn! Oh well....

[Axe Man]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

AFL Mock Draft: Our experts select draft's first round

The AFL Draft is just a fortnight away and our draft experts have put their necks on the line by stepping into the shoes of recruiters for a host of clubs.

Chris Cavanagh and Dan Batten have been following the draft extensively across the year and played the roles of AFL clubs in our 2024 Mock Draft, selecting prospects based on club needs and their own talent orders.

Who picked for which clubs?
Which clubs our experts picked for in our 2024 Mock Draft

Chris Cavanagh - Richmond, Carlton, Adelaide, GC, Port, Fremantle, Bulldogs

Dan Batten - North, Melbourne, St Kilda, West Coast, GWS, Sydney, Brisbane, Essendon

PICK 20 - JOE BERRY (WESTERN BULLDOGS)
Club Murray Bushrangers/Wangaratta
State VIC
Height 181cm
DOB 18/4/2006

CHRIS CAVANAGH SAYS: We know the Bulldogs have some good tall forwards in Aaron Naughton, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Sam Darcy. But there might be a spot up for grabs for another small alongside Cody Weightman and Rhylee West. So I?m looking firmly at Berry. He?s got virtually everything you would want in a forward with his workrate, speed, power, defensive pressure and goalsense. So if I?m the Dogs, I?m thinking we bring him in to hopefully complete a great young forward line for years to come.

DRAFT DOSSIER NOTES: Berry is the standout small forward in the open draft, given Isaac Kako is tied to Essendon. The Benalla product has plenty going for him with his speed, defensive pressure, clever ball-use and innate goal sense. Berry surged into first-round contention with 16 goals in his first five matches for the Murray Bushrangers to start the season. The dangerous forward kept the momentum going in both the Coates Talent League and the national championships, earning All-Australian recognition after kicking eight goals for Vic Country.

[Mofra]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

I like but I'm not hopeful.

[azabob]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Axe can you post the other picks?

Please and Thank You.