#2 Big Sammy Draper (from May 2024)

That was a very good pass.

Not sure I agree on the handballs. We need to find a way to make that work more often. I think he kicks more often than he should.

Draper is serviceable but likely won’t ever be the reliable first choice ruck we need.

No surprise. Didn’t grow up with the game, nor did he excel at any game like it (e.g. gaelic footy). He’s another one of Dodoro’s unicorn punts, like Cox… the kind of punt you have when it’s someone else’s money and you’ll never, ever be held to account if it goes pear-shaped

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Draper is a flog and needs to go.

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The funny thing about averages is it takes into consideration all the ruckman so for every Gawn who plays a full game there’s a Jackson who has stints which would even it out and even so Draper has been getting games as a sole ruck so the numbers should be up to at least average

Its a shame because the one thing he is pretty good at (taking contested marks around the ground) is something with severely lack.
Its just that his absolute lack of football smarts overrides this.

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Just saying it’s a flawed system. If Draper had played one out ruck all year he would have more hit outs/hit outs to advantage which means he would probably have a better rating.

Luke Jackson suffers from the same problem.

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If he kept his level of athleticism proportional to height, we’d be watching him win gold in some Olympic event next week.

He’s a freak athlete (power and speed, endurance maybe not so much). He needs to work on stuff, but man, if he was just as athletic for height at 5’10, he’d be incredible at some track/field event. It’d be up to him to pick which one.

Do you go to training and see all these attributes, because there’s not a lot of freak athleticism on match day.

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I’ve seen him put on the jets and leave midfielders in his wake before, yeah.

I mean, it’s less unique than it once was, most modern rucks are freak athletes now.

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Hadn’t been on the Drapes thread for a while. Just read through posts going back 5 days. Very entertaining :grinning:

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Drapes could be our number one ruck if he improved in his tap work.

After this I think he just needs to keep it simple. He tries to do too much.

His game should be to keep it simple and:

  • improve his ruck craft
  • compete at the contest and give off the handball to advantage
  • present and compete round the ground
  • improve his kicking and slot the odd goal up forward to pose a threat

critically, he should stop trying to outrun everyone as his disposal is useless when he tries this. his pace is a weapon and should be used as such, but sparingly - cause, keep it simple Sammy.

So just improve at every fundamental pillar required to become a good ruckman.
He should never be a number 1 ruck. He’s a relief ruckman at best.
We are going nowhere with this bloke, he’s so lazy, he can’t kick, can’t tap and he has the worst football IQ in the AFL.
He’s energy and enthusiasm in a shocking team with fans yearning for anything positive has deluded us into thinking he’ll progress into something.
F&ck him off and get Nick Bryan in and figure out if he can play.

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He is our number one ruck. Goldie is shot and Bryan is stuck in VFL

Would Draper be the number one ruck in any other side in the AFL?

tassie

Only maybe Weagles. Went through the exercise of comparing him to other club ruckman, and think he would be lucky to make top 25.

I have him at #124 on the ■■■■ that needs improving list for Essendon. Snugly nestled between #123 coherent injury update timelines and #125 Parish’s footskills.

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Bryan has gone past him.

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Draper I cannot stand, so not a modern day type ruck.

He cannot kick, cannot tap

What does he provide, other that stupidity?

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