I think it’s a stupid take, TBH.
The bids are binding. Clubs aren’t doing it for ■■■■■ and giggles, even if they may fully expect the bids to be matched.
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I mean, our recruiters literally laughed when they bid on Silvagni.
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Everyone seems to think we need a bigger inside mid or a small forward. And I’d be happy if we got a good one of either because I agree we could do with a little more in both areas.
But I also I think we have more options in those areas compared with our back-up against the explosive/fast/agile small forward - if Hind gets injured. We seem to play Ridley on them a bit because of his speed (much faster than most realise), in the way fletch often picked up smalls. But rids can’t quite match a tight turning circle. I don’t mind Guelfi as a flexible rotation/sub but he’s looked lost against dangerous smalls, and I think Redman is more mid sized, so not quite the match, either.
Any chance we look at the youngest kid in the draft - Wilmot - his highlights showed him pulling rachele’s daks down a few times as @THE_DON1 pointed out. Maybe I’m talking myself into it because having watched him as a junior against older/bigger kids I think he might be handy, but I feel like I worry about quality small forward oppo more than a lot of other areas.
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And if they’d called our bluff we’d have the whippingest whipping boy that ever was whipped!
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Fast. Dangerous left foot. Tall enough. Can play HB, but also looks to have played wing and on ball. Feels like the prototype Dodoro selection.
Could be a better option than Sonsie if both Erasmus and Goater are gone. And possibly a better option than Goater anyway?
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They were never going to call our bluff.
Looks as though he would be pretty much plug and play off half back with that size, athleticism and kicking skills.
Are you optimistic he could play as a winger or even inside mid?
We just recruited Kelly to play on smalls.
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Isn’t he 63”? I thought he was a lock down for mediums, releasing Redman. But maybe he is agile enough?
He will play on smalls and mediums and free up ridley/redman/hind.
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I’m officially on the Sonsie bandwagon for a bit of fun, but the reality is Sinn would also be a good candidate. He definitely ticks my preference for good disposal, my preference our #11 mid can come into the side via a HB or HF flank, would tick those who want a bit more size (186cm), and has speed.
The only issue would be whether he can actually play midfield to a high enough level, and I can here the Dodoro demurers muttering “half-back into mids!” already.
@THE_DON1, your draft central profile and rankings say he has a number of midfield traits, but doesn’t really go into depth (profile and rankings here). How would you rate his prospect to play midfield for us? And what type of midfielder if he can?
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I didn’t do the Sinn profile personally but I haven’t seen a whole lot of his midfield craft, he isn’t afraid to try and win his own ball but certainly looks more dangerous on the outside but could certainly play a midfield role and still show his clean hands and speed. His 100m plays which are his bread and butter are taken the list advantage of as a half back though, he could even make a good half forward as he can play tall and small and surprisingly good around goal.
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Certainly Essendon knows from Raz, Walla, Lovett, Davey the value of having a HFF who can move up the ground, get the ball and come back with pace.
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I’m changing my tune aswell.
I’m more than happy to find a player who will be a classy HFF/wing player… and thankfully there should be a few available at our first pick.
I think that will improve our goal scoring chances, of having some class in the forwardline and on the Wing. Better delivery means improved KP Forward performances.
Whether that be Sonsie, NWM, Goater, or Rachele.
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One other thing with Sinn, given he’s 186cm how is he overhead?
Saying that, I’d also be happy with an inside midfielder in Roberts or Erasmus.
Ant555 from bigfooty named Leiu as an option later in the draft. @THE_DON1, any thoughts on him?
Edit: found your profile on him (here).
I will throw one out there that has not been discussed a lot for a later pick if we do not go tall midfielder early.
Tyreece Leiu from Eastern. Has to improve his output over a whole game and even week to week but he has played inside midfield as well as some time forward and back. He is a big unit . 194cm 93 kg so body wise he is ready to go. In fact an AFL program may well strip off a couple of kg.
Played for Vic metro in the under 16 but has missed under Metro because of injury. Was named in Eastern’s best in 4 of the 6 games they played this year.
The reality is that I’ll be just happy with the best available non-tall, and really don’t have a clue who that is. The only proviso I’d add is that when considering what/who is “best available”, I’d put a high value on disposal quality.
I think the game is moving back more towards where it was when Hawthorn won its threepeat, and I don’t believe quality disposal ever goes out of style. It reduces turnovers which is critical, reduces the number of disposals needed for a goal, and increases the penetration of any chain of possessions (meaning a greater chance of a goal, but also that a turnover is further away from the opponents’ goal).
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Leiu started the year as a big mid but struggled to win much of the ball, got injured at a bad time right before Metro trials and came of a staring game against Sandringham playing CHB and being a strong interceptor.
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Small forward or Mid