Well I’m not wrong thou
If he wasn’t 203cm and athletic he wouldn’t be on the list
But he is on the list, has been chased by other clubs
So I conclude he has done a fantastic job
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I hope so, I’d love to be wrong about him and I want every Essendon player to succeed but so far he hasn’t delivered.
If he and a few others that show promise like Perkins Cox Reid Tsatas Caddy and Davey can turn that into consistent performances we would start looking like a threat
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well no, you could never be wrong if your starting position is somoene like draper has done a fantastic job, by simply existing.
Guess it’s like saying mark mcgouh is an afl legend cos he won an anzac day medal and did a fantastic job doing that being a b grade plodder.
but hey, was a fantastic effort to get that.
Your point is ridiculous.
‘Ruckman only plays because he’s tall.’
We tried NLM in the ruck. It didn’t work.
As for Draper, he’s improved all aspects of his game year on year and I expect him to improve further.
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It was a fantastic effort for Mcgouh to win the ANZAC
He played a cracking game and was BOG
Fantastic effort indeed
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I think some people just don’t like his face. And I get that. I think that’s kinda reasonable. But they should be upfront about it.
Just like I’ll be upfront about my bias towards him because he’s just about the only exciting/interesting player on our list.
And for the record, I don’t like Stringer’s face.
But I have to concede that he’s capable of turning a game (either way, unfortunately).
Hmmm. Reminds me of someone.
Anyway, apart from losing the only interesting player on our list if we trade him, I’m happy for him to be traded.
But, and I’ve said this before, I don’t see how that gives us a net win.
It feels like we’d have to spend whatever we get for him on Another ruck. And sure, if that ruck is more consistent but more boring and around the same age, then…okay…
But not replacing him, and putting all your eggs in the Bryan/Vigo basket (because they will obviously improve while it’s just as obvious Draper will not?), seems…ambitious.
I’m all for setting standards of what is a reasonable return from him, as far as taps/marks/posessions/goals/clearances go.
I don’t see much of that.
I’m seeing ‘would Sandilands have been any good if he was 5’10”?’
To which my answer is,
a) I don’t know, and
b) who tf cares because he WASN’T.
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My question is why is Draper going to suddenly improve next year
people bringing up gawn like drapers suddenly going to become the 3rd great ruckman of the modern era doesn’t help draper case as well.
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LOL. only interesting player on our list? hardly. I like him alot, but theres definitely something not right with his output. hes really inconsistent and still makes horrible decisions with the ball in hand. cant stand when he grabs the ball and then just kicks it forward without looking at whats in front of him. Auskick kid style. hes probably our worst kick for goal as well.
I understand hes a very popular boy inside and outside the club, but he may need to focus more on whats going to take him to the next level. If Bryan starts going past him next year, its going to be a very easy decision to move him back to SA.
He’s over his groin injury, his knee has been cleaned out, he will hopefully have a full preseason instead of a limited preseason and he’s more experienced which for rucks seems especially important.
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I find it hard to believe he’s been in the system what seven years and all of sudden he’s going to jump out of he’s skin.
I think this is as good as it gets
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Well he’s just spent a year playing with an AA ruckman which should be helpful for Sam’s progress.
You suspect he’s reached a ceiling , it’s conceivable he hasn’t.
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People dont like the fact that he’s been on the list for half a decade and still struggles with some of the basic footballing skills.
Reality is though that he has improved year on year, if even slightly, and he provides contested marking for a team that sorely sorely lacks it.
If we were offered a first for him I think we would take it, but otherwise im pretty content with him and Bryan being our ruck combination for hopefully the next 5 years.
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We even saw some improvement in his goal kicking technique/ he’s building layers to his game.
If Draper was only 152cm, he wouldn’t even be on a list.
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Fitness and continuity would go a long way.
Easy to forget that his last 2 years have been destroyed by injuries. The groin in 2022 followed by the knee 2023-24. Prior to that we saw significant improvement/development in his game more broadly. This year we saw some improvement in specific areas of his game, his marking for example, however certainly in isolation that didn’t translate to overall improvement in his level of performance and you cannot overlook the impact of the injuries in this context.
He could improve next year by putting some of the pieces together with fitness and continuity, or maybe he doesn’t. To infer that definitively wont, is just to be wedded to ones own misery for some inconceivable payoff.
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I like Draper. He can change a game very quickly & the number of ruckman in the comp that can is very small. Most are plodders that can’t even in their wildest dreams … they just can’t. Draper can
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Haha, come on
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Are you trying to argue against my very subjective personal opinion?
shrugs
I mean, go ahead and convince me why I don’t think that, I guess.
After a very, very long time of quite conservative list management.
I absolutely understand a general, overall position of nearly everyone being able to be discussed, see what someone might be willing to pay.
But that’s not specifically a Draper related point.