2015 Draft Watch

[Axe Man]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

The worry for me is the dislocated knee cap. Knee caps are by far the worst if the bone damage that you can do to a knee because stabilising it to heal is impossible without losing the mobility, hence it never really heals well.

Kneecaps can keep slipping out once they have already slipped

Just speaking from my own experience, whilst extremely painful, a dislocated kneecap isn't necessarily a serious ongoing issue.

I dislocated my kneecap skiing in my early 20s. Luckily i didn't do any bone damage in the process. Had 6 weeks off from footy, came back and was fine. Either the next season or the one after (can't remember) it slipped out again in an innocuous incident in a game. Was probably a 2 week injury the second time. Since then I haven't had another issue (something like 15 footy seasons later).

Obviously Burton's injury was horrific and on a totally different level to mine, but I assume it will be the tibia bone fracture and structural damage to his knee that will be the ongoing concern rather than the dislocated kneecap.

[Bornadog]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

Someone says hi

[Axe Man]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

Didn't Cooney crack his patella? Completely different injury to Burton.

[Twodogs]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

I think so.

[kruder]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

My worry with Burton is that whilst the leg/knee may be fine, with the load he will have to carry to get to peak fitness are you looking at a guy who will be finished with football by the time he is 25? The worry for me is the dislocated knee cap. Knee caps are by far the worst if the bone damage that you can do to a knee because stabilising it to heal is impossible without losing the mobility, hence it never really heals well.

I like what Burton brings to the table and whilst the success of Stringer having come back from a broken leg is encouraging, this is a different level of injury. Not likely to be around when we have our pick anyway.

I did read/hear that we didn't interview him at the camp FWIW

[stefoid]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

At the moment I'm leaning towards:

20: Ben McKay/Hibberd (Assuming Oliver is well gone)
21: Tucker/Ah Chee
30: Adams/Rioli

Couple notes:

- If McKay is gone, I wonder if we'll jump at somebody like Adams.
- One of our first picks to be best available. Hard to predict who that might be.
- We need some pace and skill, so I wouldn't mind Ah Chee is he's available.
- A specialist small forward like Rioli would be a good get, we don't have one on the list at the moment.
- I'd love to add both McKay and Adams to our list, allowing us to use 21 & 51 on best available.

FWIW, 'some hawks guy' on BF reckons that the we are into rioli, as are the hawks.

[stefoid]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

Just speaking from my own experience, whilst extremely painful, a dislocated kneecap isn't necessarily a serious ongoing issue.

I dislocated my kneecap skiing in my early 20s. Luckily i didn't do any bone damage in the process. Had 6 weeks off from footy, came back and was fine. Either the next season or the one after (can't remember) it slipped out again in an innocuous incident in a game. Was probably a 2 week injury the second time. Since then I haven't had another issue (something like 15 footy seasons later).

Obviously Burton's injury was horrific and on a totally different level to mine, but I assume it will be the tibia bone fracture and structural damage to his knee that will be the ongoing concern rather than the dislocated kneecap.

Something I read about burton said he was missing a lot of cartlidge in that knee due to the accident. That might be the worst thing. Does that stuff grow back?

[Dancin' Douggy]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

From looking at all the different phantom drafts out there and all the rumours, it seems we did the right think swapping our pick 11.
I reckon we'll get a couple of very handy players with our picks.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

From looking at all the different phantom drafts out there and all the rumours, it seems we did the right think swapping our pick 11.
I reckon we'll get a couple of very handy players with our picks.

Agree. It feels like there are a bunch of players from 10-30 that could go in any order. Why take one of them when you can have 2? Would be fascinating to know who we would've taken at 11, whoever it is I reckon 20/21 combined offer a much better bet.

[F'scary]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

More on ready-to-play options including some KPB's:

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-11-10/wa-defender-nathan-broad-headlines-matureage-draft-prospects

I love the paragraphs "Former Cat Mitch Brown is one of the candidates this season, with Essendon among the clubs interested in the 25-year-old.

Brown, who starred for Sandringham at VFL level this year, has been linked to the Bombers' second-round picks (No. 24 and 25) but may also be available at their next selection (No.57)."

We are in a position to pressure the Bombres into using one of the early 2nd round picks on him. Nyeh, heh, heh, hehhhh...

[FrediKanoute]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

Something I read about burton said he was missing a lot of cartlidge in that knee due to the accident. That might be the worst thing. Does that stuff grow back?

In a word - NO.

[boydogs]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

Burton articles, definitely sounds more like Cooney than Stringer

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/north-adelaide-forward-ryan-burtons-horrific-leg-injury-makes-him-one-of-the-drafts-biggest-question-marks/story-fnia3v71-1227600649080

But his leg and knee were so badly mangled — the kneecap had been dislocated, the tibia shattered and there was ligament and cartilage damage — that there were early fears that he might not be able to run again, let alone play football.

Burton missed the entire 2015 season but managed to take part in all the physical testing at the combine apart from the beep test, which he avoided due to the rapid stopping and turning on the hard floor.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/rooster-ryan-burtons-afl-dream-remains-alive-despite-a-horrific-leg-injury/story-fnii03j6-1227416263398

The son of dual Roosters premiership midfielder/forward Craig Burton is in the final stages of his long and arduous rehabilitation — lengthened by patella tendinitis — and hopes to be back playing before the end of the season.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-11-05/going-places-20-months-without-footy-but-burton-might-still-go-top20

Burton still hasn't played since his injury last year, having failed to reach his target of playing in the championships for South Australia. His chances were dashed after the Academy camp in April, when he developed patella tendonpathy from stress.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

FWIW, 'some hawks guy' on BF reckons that the we are into rioli, as are the hawks.

Good to hear.

A dangerous/electric small forward would complete our offense. We've plugged away with the likes of Honeychurch and Hrovat, but neither come close to Dahlhaus. Rioli would fit in well.

Just not sure where he sits in the draft. Seems as though he may be a 25-35 pick.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

Good to hear.

A dangerous/electric small forward would complete our offense. We've plugged away with the likes of Honeychurch and Hrovat, but neither come close to Dahlhaus. Rioli would fit in well.

Just not sure where he sits in the draft. Seems as though he may be a 25-35 pick.

I don't know how we'll fit a small forward into our team structure this year, given that interchange rules presumably meaning that mids will need to rotate forward more often.

I can see a system of 4 (more or less) permanent forwards; Boyd (on occasion maybe Redpath), Stringer, Crameri, Dickson.

Then a high half forward/midfield rotation (Dahlhaus, Hunter and Maclean/Daniel) and a midfield/deeper forward rotation (Bont, Wallis, Libba, Jong/Stevens/Picken).

Don't know how all of this fits in with a semi-permanent small forward also in the mix.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: 2015 Draft Watch

I don't know how we'll fit a small forward into our team structure this year, given that interchange rules presumably meaning that mids will need to rotate forward more often.

I can see a system of 4 (more or less) permanent forwards; Boyd (on occasion maybe Redpath), Stringer, Crameri, Dickson.

Then a high half forward/midfield rotation (Dahlhaus, Hunter and Maclean/Daniel) and a midfield/deeper forward rotation (Bont, Wallis, Libba, Jong/Stevens/Picken).

Don't know how all of this fits in with a semi-permanent small forward also in the mix.

Boyd will rotate through the ruck whilst Crameri, Stringer and Dickson will continue to take their turns through the middle of the ground. All of them did reasonably well in these adjusted roles and with the new interchange rules I can't see that changing. The game is based on flexibility - at least ours is.

There's still room for a semi-permenant small forward, but even then, they'll need to take bursts through the middle. Rioli is certainly capable aerobically and has the skill set to do so. Honeychurch doesn't have the frame and isn't quick, even though his natural U18 game was as a mid whilst Hrovat is more of a mid than a forward. I think Rioli is better suited (better overhead mark, quicker and more skillful).