You watch me stuff this up!!!
Heās already injured.
Yeah I saw that. Probably had no conditioning or at least not as much as he should have had and then exposed to a professional environment and bang injured within about 48 hours.
Saracens, Draft Recap, 2022.
We entered the 2021 post-season having finished last , and more disappointingly with only the one win. Paradoxically, the nature of the list belied the empirical truth of that number by providing some difficulties with settling on a list of 20 keepers. Not because so many were deemed expendable, but rather because so many are still unknown quantities , and cases could be made to both keep - or jettison- more than 20. In the end, Ben Kingās knee injury, and an offer for Zurhaar helped to decide the final makeup of the keepers. But even then, we had some misgivings on the last few spots in the keeper list. However , we locked in the list a few hours before deadline and refused to look at it again. Weād managed to improve draft position overall a little bit, getting two distinct clusters in the middle rounds of the draft and finishing up at pick 109. In our estimation, such clusters are quite useful to a list that needs some strategic help. But ideally these clusters come through rounds 3/4 and we just didnāt have the trade capital to make that happen this year.
The Keeper list is, frankly, still very young. The draft, therefore, needed to provide a mix of talent, upside and some security. This became more problematic during the actual draft as injuries to keepers Coleman and Jones were added to an existing problem with Rivers. To some extent, we adjusted as we went. As best we could. But we were always comfortable with the idea that we could aim for some insurance players, we already had a stack of kids.
Selection 1 Nick Daicos. Looked at holistically, this was probably a no-brainer for us. Arguably best-ever junior numbers, time spent training with Collingwood last season, a prolific performance in an Acadamy vs VFL match, a belief from Buckley that he could easily have been in Collingwoods best 22 last season, and an early glimpse from Macrae that he intends to play him at half back early in the year, which might give us the biggest (B) qualified possession winner by midseason. There was no reason to look anywhere else. And yet I did. JHF is already dual position and looks likely to remain (F) eligible for a while. He can win contested footy which makes him less taggable. He can take overhead marks and boost his scoring with tackling. He wasnāt out of the frame. On paper, the other under consideration was Darcy. Had there been any opportunity for him to suggest that he can be a Ruck candidate, Iād have looked closely. We need a long term Ruckman. But his navicular problem, and uncertainty over whether he ends up a pure forward or back, put him on the backburner. I was aware of Ward on the periphery too, but never really came close to taking him at #1. Ruminating on the matter in the two days prior to the draft, in the end, we went with the Rolls Royce accumulator over the explosive mid/hff. No regrets.
Selection 19. Cooper Stephens. We are both very pleased with this pick, and slightly annoyed at ourselves. As a prospective player, we clearly like Stephens. Heās had another preseason, the broken leg / confiidence issue is hopefully behind him and there are signs that the Generals in charge of Dadās Army are finally realising that if youāre going to keep lauding the genius of Stephen Wells then youād better bloody well play some of them. Stephens looked ok in the practice match against GC , should have plenty of upside and should get opportunities. One for our future midfield stocks, possibly even this year. But, the flipside here is that strategically this pick may have been better used on Mac Andrew. As noted at pick 1, we are searching for a long term ruckman to lock that list position away. We have high hopes for Bryan, but Andrew tucked away on the list may have made sense too. One of those imponderables that may never be answered. Be that as it may, Stephens came onboard.
Selection 37. Ivan Soldo. Long term ruck issues not withstanding, we were also concerned with the immediate future and we had Soldo pencilled in for this pick from a long way out. we watched with some trepidation as the picks ticked down. Soldo is only 25 and there are signs that he could become the main guy this year. Certainly with CCJ and Chol departing , he should get more opportunities and in our estimation can score well in his own right. He gives us an immediate first ruck option, allows 2mp to shift to the forward line and the cascade effect allows multi position players to be swung into the midfield / defence as needed. If heād been gone, we may have switched tack completely and looked to find a plug and play option at either end of the ground in Paton or Hill. The intent was to get playing depth through the middle of this draft as we felt that we needed it, and it might vanish swiftly in a draft crop that felt a little less quality this year.
Selection 55. Ian Bobby Hill. Pleased with this pick. Will play every week if fit, is just entering that age group where a break out might be occurring and we think heāll be more than a 6 possession, two goal small forward. Looks to have a bit of ball winning about him up the ground. We also kept an eye on Charlie Cameron, but Bobbyās age suits our profile and heās just as likely to play (we think). We also, for the first time, had another pick coming up soon after to fix another glaring problem.
Selection 67. Adam Tomlinson. The news that Coleman had done a bad hammy, not just a garden variety, was a problem. Rivers was already missing the first month. Highmore is uncertain for round 1. The defence looks a little thread bare. Tomlinson is dual position and looks likely to be a regular for Melbourne. He had good possession numbers in the preseason, and if he can up the marks total a little could easily be a bankable 70 points per week. We can move Blakey back, but Tomlinson gives us another cover. Another we were considering was Brandon Walker but heās a far more speculative punt and the hope was to switch back to drafting kids a little later in the draft. Also considered Crozier. We went for the injury cover here.
Selection 83. Laitham Vandermeer . Looking for another ākid with a few years in the system who might breakoutā option. Had him last season, and firmly believe he becomes a ball winning half forward. The question is āwhenā? Has tended to start seasons well and fall away. Weād had Stengle on the radar but he was off the board just prior. Weād decided if Vandermeer got through, with dual C/F , we could look for another stability pick in defence on the next one.
Selection 85. Robbie Tarrant. A pure, simple, ālets avoid the constant FA shuffle pickā selection. Last year, we had Hugo Ralphsmith but couldnāt keep him. Itās the bane of young squads, losing talent to meet a full 18 requirement and respect the league. Tarrant is an interesting watch, can score well on his day. Unclear how Richmond will use him until Grimes returns, but heās obviously in their 22 with Balta going forward. This selection opened the door to pick 107.
Selection 107. Brandon Walker. Early Sunday morning, i had decided on the list aims and wrote down four names. Three got through to these picks. Walker is this years punt for me. I was concerned heād be taken by others looking for young defender options. Very pleased he got through. Played 10 games last year, fairly unremarkable but looks like a good rebounding option. Decent kick and only 20 years old so could emerge quickly. Interrupted preseason prior to Christmas but Longmuir is a fan. And Nathan Wilson just did a shoulder so there might be a spot early. Iām really pleased with this pick, heās nothing special yet but finding long term defenders who can get the footy is tricky .
Selection 108. Jack Mahony. Thereās something about this kid that I like. Iām not certain what his ceiling is, but heās workmanlike and improving. Not just a forward ( more of a defensive forward) but North seem to think he can push up the ground and be part of the clearances. Had a couple of preseasons, could become a solid but unspectacular scorer. At this point in my draft, if he plays most weeks, itās useful cover on the bench.
Selection 109. Daniel McStay. Even though Iād written him down and he got through, I hesitated again on this pick and scanned for a ruck option. Couldnāt really find one that suited, too many were too young and a long way off, or insecure job prospects. So i went back to McStay. Iāve always liked him - Iāve always picked him years too early - but with Hipwood absent i think Mcstay will get workhorse points this year and am predicting a couple of very good scores mixed in with some solid ones. And heās another reliable depth option to ensure non-panic use of the FA.
Overall, weāre well pleased. Tactically, we think the Cooper pick might have been the wrong rein, but so be it. Weāve added more kids, but most have a preseason or two under their belt, or are ready to go ala Daicos. Weāve added some mature depth for when injury rears its ugly head. In essence, the intent was to get the list to grow up a little bit. If we finish bottom again, thatās ok. But it cant be bottom with one win. We need to start climbing that win/loss ladder. Starting to assemble some scoring power amongst the kids, so we think we will.
Possible 22 ( if injury allows)
B: Lachy Jones , N Blakey, T Rivers
Hb : Coleman , L Sholl, Burton
C: T Powell, T Cotchin , J Ross
HF : S Bolton, M Kennedy , T Green
FF K Pickett , P Wright, J Waterman
Ruck : I Soldo, N Daicos, J Newcombe
Bench : H Jones, J Lever, L Vandermeer, I Hill
Reserves:
T Highmore
A Tomlinson
N Bryan
R Tarrant
C Stephens
D McStay
B Walker
J Mahony
8 Likes
Draft Review (Edit: added best 22 and likely R1 22)
Last year wasnāt great and I did expect a few more wins, unfortunately losing Berry, Duursma, McDonald, Milera and Williams to injury for significant chunks meant that it was going to be difficult. At one point I think I was missing 11 of my starting 18.
All of that group are back and posting great scores in practice matches which hopefully translates to Round 1 and beyond.
With a young (oldest player is 27) list pretty well stocked in starting Bs & Cs the focus was to bring in Fs.
Happy to hear anyones thoughts about my draft.
- Joshua Rachele
I needed someone who could play from the early rounds, preferably with an F.
I was torn between Rachele, Ward, Erasmus and Callaghan here knowing that Daicos and JHF would be out of the running. Callaghan was discounted due to lack of playing time and questions on his physicality, Erasmus because he didnāt play either practice match and didnāt feature at their WAFL run either.
Ward was seriously considered but pushed out as the games he played OāMeara and Mitchell didnāt which means he will be in the VFL or a forward pocket (not a natural spot for him).
Rachele won out as he has F status, dominated both practice games and should play almost every game, hopefully with time he learns how to up his possession count to cover games where he doesnāt either score or tackle as much.
21 )Mac Andrew
Was a bit of a long shot, but with all my contingencies taken (sonsie, roberts etc.) The best young ruck in the draft made sense. He is 20 years old so shouldnāt be too far off. It will be a choice between him and Jacob edwards come years end on who is retained.
- Max King
Under 25 F depth fighting for a keeper spot. Will play every week and likely to improve.
- Denver Grainger Barras
Under 25 B depth fighting for a keeper spot. Will play every week and likely to improve
- Jack Henry
Under 25 B depth fighting for a keeper spot. Will play every week and likely to improve
- Tyson Stengle
Under 25 upside pick. Hopefully shoes more of the form from the first practice match.
- Ned McHenry
Under 25 upside pick.
- Jack Bytel
Was on the Myrmidons list for the last few years, with Hannerburyās wheels falling off again and Zak Jones taking time away from the game, there is a spot open in the saints midfield. Hopefully the minor injury he has doesnāt keep him out.
- Tex Wanganeen
Upside pick and also couldnāt pass up the chance to have a Wanganeen on the list
- Roarke Smith
Auto pick
Best 22
Milera, McDonald, Williams
Lukosious, Stocker, Stack
Darcy, Serong, Hopper
Duursma, Berry, Cox
SPP, Rachele, Castagna
Larkey, King, Holman
Int: Stack, OāHallaran, Pittonet, Stengle
DGB
Andrew
Rankine
McHenry
Bytel
Wanganeen
Edwards
Round 1
McDonald, Williams, Lukosious
Henry, DGB, Stack
Darcy, Serong, Hopper
Duursma, Berry, Cox
Rachele, Castagna, Larkey
King, Holman, Stengle
Int: Pittonet, O,Hallaran, Rankine, McHenry
Inj: Stocker, Milera, SPP
Stocker has Syndemosis and should be back from R2 onwards
Milera picked up a slight muscle strain and might be brought back in via the SANFL, should be good to go R2
SPP has a slight hamstring strain and could play but I guess he will be SANFL as well.
5 Likes
This years draft was more of a raffle than any other Iāve experienced.
Very tough going because of the lack of exposure to youngsters.
Thatās where the two (or three) practice games from the first weekend of February were very helpful.
Whether itās a successful draft or not will not be witnessed early this year. Probably not even early next year.
Hopefully for all teams towards the bottom of the ladder, the reserves comp gets a free run at developing these players better than the opportunity afforded to rookies in 2020 and 2021.
I like the Bobby Hill pick @saladin. I snatched him up in the other league in the draft, I think heāll go from small forward numbers to eventually more wing type numbers and I reckon GWS will use him more there ( although hopefully he gets to Essendon).
1 Like
Draft Review: Not much to talk about, I had the worst draft hand of any coach, with 5 picks 161 plus and another pick at 148. Mitch McGovern at pick 21 looks like some good upside after his move down back. He put on a good pre-season score and looks like heāll be useful as the season wears on as a dual position player. Gunston Iām hoping can return to his pre injury averages of nearly 80 and Ben Brown was in good form in the second half of last year averaging over 70. The rest were mostly depth, with Jordan Sweet the most risky player but with Stef Martin ahead of him he could play sooner rather than later. Rory Atkins is a punt that he can score something respectable returning from injury.
B: Oleg Markov - James Sicily - Bradley Hill
HB: Jake Lloyd - Jeremy Howe - Caleb Daniel
C: Sam Walsh - Taylor Adams - Cam Guthrie
HF: Lachie Hunter - Harry MacKay - Tom Phillips
F: Bailey Dale - Tom De Koning- Mitch McGovern
R: Toby Nankervis - Stephen Coniglio - Jaeger OāMeara
Int: Sam Menegola - Hugh Greenwood - Tom Liberatore - Jack Gunston
Reserves:
Ben Brown (F)
Harrison Himmelberg (F)
Samuel Switkowski (F)
Jordan Sweet (FR)
Trent MacKenzie (B)
Jayden Hunt (B)
Phil Davis (B)
Rory Atkins (C)
Overall: A strong list, hoping to compete for a premiership. Much will hinge on my trade with redbull, bringing in injury prone but talented players in Coniglio, Adams and Nankervis. If my list stays on the park I expect nothing less than top 4. Midfield is OP with Menegola, Greenwood and Liberatore not even in the starting 18. Backline bolstered with Lloyd and Howe who make welcome additions. Iāll face huge challenges from Stoops, Dunlop, Allblack, Fudge and a few others, and looking forward to redeeming the club from last year. If I had to bet, Iād say a Stoops v Dunlop GF.
8 Likes
B: Madgen - Laverde - OāDriscoll
HB: Mills - Gibcus - Short
C: Z Bailey - I. Smith - Dunstan
HF: Stephenson - Swallow - McCarthy
F: Anderson - De Goey - Hoskin-Elliott
R: NicNat - B. Smith - Howe
I/C:
- Thilthorpe
- Z. Guthrie
- Durdin
- Guelfi
Reserves:
- Hayes (R/F)
- Graham (B/R)
- Hibberd (B) - Injured
- Dixon (R/F)
- Weideman (F)
- Papley (F) - Injured
- Bowes (B) - Injured
- E. Smith (C)
Draft Review: Identified the backline as an area that needed strengthening given the LTI status of Bowes and how the backline performed last year. Gibcus (Pick 12), high job security but will be limited in his scoring output initially. Happy to wait for him to develop given how highly Richmond rate him and will play a lot of games this season. OāDriscoll (Pick 30) - hopefully he gets a run given his strong pre-season, but he will be competing for a spot in a currently stacked Freo midfield. Madgen (Pick 84), happy to welcome him back to the Marvels given Collingwoodās backline injuries. Durdin (Pick 102), supposed to take over the Eddie Betts small forward role at Fark Carlton. Hayes (Pick 110) - Mature aged pick up that looks to slot in straight into the Saints lineup. Graham (Pick 120) - picked up due to B/R status and high chance of playing as the 3rd tall in the Gold Coast backline. Hibberd (Pick 138) - Premiership defender picked up as a backup defender. Would have played Round 1 except for a last minute injury. Guelfi (Pick 156) - Looks like heāll fill a roll in the forward line now that AMT is out indefinitely and has played a lot this pre-season. Dixon (Pick 173) - Ruck/Forward backup given the Weagles current injury crisis. Weideman (Pick 177) - Forward backup and looks like he is too good for VFL and just on the cusp of senior selection.
Overall: It will be interesting to see if the squad backups last seasonās prelim heroics. Still a lot of younger players who should be improving and with plenty of upside. Tough start to the season against Allblack. Looking forward to a more stable season in terms of games/lockdowns/restrictions compared to 2020-21. Good luck to all!
4 Likes
Even with known injury problems, we might have some selection pressure this round. That would be a very nice outcome. Except now i need to nail selection! My best scoring 18 is a bit unknown.
1 Like
WINDY DILL
PRESEASON REVIEW
DRAFT
-
Darcy Wilmot (Brisbane)
Tough half-back who has impressed in preseason. Iām always looking for a running defender, and when he got suspended for a rough tackle, I knew that I had found my man. -
Sam Durham (Essendon)
Was considering Bailey Williams (the WB defender, not the WC ruckman) with this pick, but thought Iād go with Durham who was hyped early this preseason as a likely improver. -
Brady Hough (West Coast)
Coach Simpson has since confirmed Hough will play R1 for the decimated Eagles, so feel vindicated with this selection. Another defender to add to the list, Hough has been solid in both preseason games and looks a good size. -
Dan McKenzie (St Kilda)
McKenzie is welcomed back to the club after some solid performances in 2021. Should play most weeks and score around 60. -
Rhys Mathieson (Brisbane)
Not sure if Mathieson is in Brisbaneās best side, but he has consistently averaged between 60-72 every season, and was a feature of Brisbaneās line up late last year. -
Aiden Bonar (North Melbourne)
Another player re-drafted, Bonar is in Northās best 22, but injury has prevented him from stringing regular games together. I think there is untapped potential there. -
Tom T. Lynch (North Melbourne)
The third player re-drafted, Lynch is a consistent scorer (av 71 in 2021) and good value at this pick. -
Ryan Lester (Brisbane)
This is getting silly, as Lester is the fourth player to get re-drafted by the club. Heās a fringe player, but a decent scorer. He has averaged over 70 across a few seasons, but I expect somewhere between 50-60 is likely. -
Ryan Clarke (Sydney)
Didnāt see much action last year, but featured during preseason and can find the ball. If he can find a regular spot in Sydneyās 22, he should be great value as he has scored well when given the chance. -
Jaxon Prior (Brisbane)
Son of Michael Prior, Prior managed a credible 15 games last year in a strong Brisbane side. At only 20, Iām hoping for a breakout season in his third year on Brisbaneās list.
BEST 18
B: Ziebell Tuohy Idun
HB: Docherty OāConnor McKenzie
C: Sloane Kennedy Warner
HF: Thomas D. Martin Sidebottom
F: J. Martin T. Lynch (NM) Wingard
Foll: OāBrien Steele Lyons
Inter: O. Henry Durham L. Henry Chapman Bonar Lester R. Clarke Wilmot Mathieson Ralphsmith Prior Hough
SUMMARY
This list looks like it should be thereabouts again in 2022, with a good mix of mature and untried talent.
The back line looks a bit thin, but Docherty is apparently going to play R1, and he canāt help but find the footy. Defenders have always been the hardest to find in fantasy football, and Iāve spent much draft currency trying to find the next 80+ scorer. Last year I took Chapman early, and despite most of his 2021 being wiped out by injury, I like what I saw from limited exposure. This year Wilmot was selected with a first rounder, and I know at the very least he will leave nothing on the field in his pursuit for success. Should Ralphsmith successfully transition from flaky forward to running defender, that should go a long way to shoring up the back line. Richmond look like they will give him every chance to do that early.
The midfield is fairly experienced, with Steele a standout. JPK is in decline, but still a reliable performer. His successor at Sydney in Chad Warner is also on this list, and looks a player. Lyons and Sloane round out the pure mids, who will get assistance from dual-position players from either end. Overall, this is a strong midfield who will receive good service from Reilly OāBrien.
The forward line is probably the strongest part of the ground with Dusty and Sidebottom features. Tarryn Thomas looks a star in the making, and Oliver Henry and Liam Henry are waiting in the wings with big wraps on them. I expect both Henrys to make their mark this season.
Should injury not completely derail the season, I expect another top four finish. From there, anything can happen.
6 Likes
Excitement Machines Draft Review:
With a pretty rock solid best 18/20 keepers and no picks inside the top 50 my aim going into the draft was to add as much depth as possible whilst trying to keep an eye on a couple of potential keepers given the likely retirement of about three players on my list. I also had to go heavy on forwards given question marks on Lambert, Duncan, Stringer and Gray for r1.
I had to pivot away from the keeper plan once the draft list came out, which just didnāt seem to have the same depth as previous years. I was holding out hope of people not seeing guys like Moore, Williams, SPS in the spreadsheet, but not to be.
Pick 51: Sam Flanders FC
I had eyed off Curtis Taylor and Flanders at this pick to meet the potential keeper brief. I would have taken Taylor but he went a couple of picks before, although was happy to take Flanders here who I had a real close look at in his draft year. Third year in the system and hopefully can come on a bit, put up some reasonable scores last year but may be a slow burn.
Pick 53: Nathan Broad B
This was the one pick Iād love back again, I should have taken Hickey who went the next pick. I was pretty rigid in my planning with getting Forward and Back with my first two picks and considered Broad the next best defender of what was left once more fancied guys like Moore, Williams etc went. Broad should still be an ok pick, averaged close to 70 last year and put up an 80 odd in the practice match, seems to have added more disposals to his game in the last two seasons. Will be a handy depth player as the season progresses.
Pick 71: Jamie Cripps F
Wanted another forward here to replace Kane Lambert who may be out for a fair chunk of the year. This was more of a pick for the back end of the season given his pec injury, was tossing up him or Gunston here but went with Cripps given his potential to be a keeper. Should be a handy 70+ scorer in the forward line once fit.
Pick 101: Jack Newnes FC
Probably a bit further down the depth chart at Carlton with Cerra and Hewett in the side, but should get a go once inevitable injuries hit. Should be a decent back up when selected across dual positions, but if he remains out of favour for a while he could be in the free agents list pretty quickly.
Pick 122: Dylan Grimes B
Was after more back depth here and will get a game each week and should post 50-70 most games
Pick 125: Brody Mihocek F
Had Mihocek for a large part of last season and was a solid scorer, needed him for additional forward depth
Pick 127: Dan Hannebery C
He was the 21st player on my list and happy to redraft him here. One of my worst trades in history but encouraged by talk of him starting to play VFL minutes soon. No longer the beast of five years ago but should still score ok when picked
Pick 134: Josh Schache FR
Was after some additional ruck and forward depth at this pick and Schache scored ok in the preseason game. Would be unlikely to last the season on my list but could be important in the early rounds
Pick 146: Kieran Strachan R
Is only an injury to ROB away from locking down good minutes in the ruck and seems to score well when he plays. If he gets the opportunity he could score well, but relies on an injury to a pretty good ruck.
Pick 179: Mitch Hannan FC
Was a pick purely for the early rounds given it is likely he will play r1 and I need forwards early. Will probably recycle for some additional defenders once my forwards get on the park.
Best 22:
Brodie Smith, Nick Haynes, Nic Newman
Daniel Rich, Jack Crisp, Isaac Quaynor
David Mundy, Patrick Cripps, Dion Prestia
Mitch Duncan, Jake Stringer, Darcy Parish
Kane Lambert, Tim English, Alex Neal-Bullen
Rhys Stanley, Tom Mitchell, Jack Macrae
Int: Joel Selwood, Nathan Broad, Jamie Cripps, Jack Newnes
Depth: Sam Flanders, Dylan Grimes, Dan Hannebery, Brody Mihocek, Josh Schache, Kieran Strachan, Mitch Hannan
Outlook:
Hoping to go one better than last year and think I have bolstered the squad to be able to do so with the addition of Brodie Smith, Jack Crisp and Tom Mitchell but these flags are so hard to win, similar to Dill I expect top 4 and then a bit of luck. A lot will hinge on injuries and Iām desperately hoping for a better run than the last couple of years, guys like Duncan, Stringer, Cripps, Prestia will be integral to my performance so I need them fit. A Joel Selwood role change to half forward would also be welcomed from a position change point of view!
Also desperately hoping that Nic Newman cements his spot in the Blues 22, will be nerve wracking each week watching selection but is an elite scorer when picked.
Good luck to all teams, excited to get into it again
8 Likes
I will have a go too.
Pick 8. Mad Bomber - Josh Sinn (Port Adelaide)
I was delighted to get Josh to the club (I will āsay that againā soon, but unfortunately not because I picked Sam Darcy). I had the opportunity to draft Darcy but I was not so keen on having to wait a while for my first pick to play I wanted any of Hobbs, Callaghan Erasmus or Josh Ward to slide as I was unsuccessful in getting a second top ten pick, Ward probably went the bolt instead. I felt it was way too early to go for injury plagued Darcy Moore.
Josh brings in some pace and could end up being a point of difference in the Port Adelaide backline, he has much vaunted run and carry and is good deliverer of the ball by foot. Hopefully the sky is the limit for Josh Sinn at the Crunchas!
Pick 44. Mad Bomber - Miller Bergman (North Melbourne)
Bergman was a reasonably high pick and he is supposed to be a great user of the ball coupled with strong decision making. Bergman may not play straight away, but with the lowly tin rattlers not being any great shakes anywhere it just might be āMiller-Timeā sooner rather than later. Hopefully the Crunchas can cash in.
Pick 50. Mad Bomber - Josh Fahey (GWS)
Might be a bit of a stash but he can definitely play. āI was delighted to get Josh to the clubā (just said it again) He has also played against men and performed admirably against Geelongās VFL side. The only real problem is that he is at GWS and often their kids have had to try and get their names selected against incumbents that are pretty good players, and there is a fair bit of depth in many positions at GWS.
Pick 68. Mad Bomber - Andrew McPherson (Adelaide)
Andrew was one of those players that had been on the improve in many ways. He played 9 games in his debut season then played 18 in his second season, a trend that could see him play 36 games this season which from a fantasy perspective is a brilliant return for pick 68! 
Pick 98. Mad Bomber - Lachie Young (North Melbourne)
Haydenās older brother, another young speedster recommended by the Crunchaās recruiters. Played 15 games last season so he is hopefully going to be in David Nobleās plans. Is brave and hopefully helps me to get a fair bit of the market in kangaroos rebound defenders.
Pick 116. Mad Bomber - Jack Payne (Brisbane)
Was given chances to play and seems to have missed out on playing more games due to injury. He is a big unit judging by the photos I saw of him, his shoulders and arms remind me of johnathan brown. Like browny he knows a thing or two about concussion.
Pick 143 Mad Bomber - Cooper Sharman# (St Kilda)
A bit of a ācaptainās callā Cooper is in that unenviable position of small forward at the saints. The crumbing small forward can be a tough gig but at the aints it could be tougher than most other clubs. Cooper has the skills to succeed and probably wont be the makeweight for Jack Darling as I think he needs to be persisted with. Cooper hit the ground running late last season and I hope for more of the same.
I was worried someone might take him before I did, I put off selecting him for a few rounds but I felt I had to push the button sooner or later.
Pick 160 Mad Bomber - Tim OāBrien (Western Bulldogs)
Hello again Tim, been on the Crunchas rosters for a few seasons. He is that tease, he has talent, athleticism but rarely puts the two together consistently for a few weeks. It is a bit of an unknown how he will go at a new club but should get some chance of playing.
Pick 170. Mad Bomber - Jackson Nelson (West Coast)
I confess I did not know heaps about Jackson and I hope he has escaped the injury curse going on at the eagles. Like with McPherson and Young, I picked him because he played a fair bit last season so hopefully that counts for something.
Pick 178. Mad Bomber - Matthew Parker# (Richmond)
Another talented player that I hope can get in the tigers side and as a result get plenty of chances to capitalise on the strength of the tiger midfield. If he can get in, I am hoping he might hold his position and even get a chance to play a bit in their midfield rotation and increase his chances of selection week in and week out.
**LTI Replacement Round**
LTI Replacement Pick - Eddie Ford (North Melbourne)
I had a fair bit of trouble taking this pick, I ummed and ahhd over it for a bit. However I am happy with my decision to draft Eddie Ford. He has a good key forward to work off in Larkey and his physical attributes are pretty good he is in a poorly performed team that could get him some extra opportunities to play.
We said goodbye to a few players last season and it was a pleasure to have Cale Hooker and Nathan Jones bow out gracefully with the Crunchas. As a result our average age has come down significantly. We have one player in his 30ās (Cunnington 30) and 2 aged 29 (J Cameron and L Parker) so many of our players have yet to reach their prime so we could actually have a very strong list in the coming seasons.
I kind of looked at position and thought I really needed to get playing backs. So much of my drafting was dominated by this. Missing Maynard for a couple of rounds exacerbated this.
I think my best side should look like this:
B: Maynard, Payne, Impey
HB: Hind, Aliir, Sinn
C: McIntosh, Ross, L Parker, Cunnington, Downie
HF: Miers, J Cameron, Richards
F: McDonald-Tipungwuti, Hogan, Membrey
R: Grundy, D Cameron
Int from: Dylan Moore, J Silvagni, M Parker, B Campbell, McPherson.
I feel like I drafted fairly well, but I wonāt really know for a while. I am sure I have picked a few lemons like I have done every season. I traded for some good players that have age and opportunity on their side. If a few of my kids that I drafted can move in to my best side then we will surely rise up the ladder.
IāM EXCITED!
Good luck to all coaches for the season ahead!
7 Likes
Pick 9 - Connor Macdonald HW - C,F
Solid pre-season and junior numbers. Playing for a team / coach that should be motivated to give the young players a go. Pretty happy with this pick, would have loved one of the earlier picks to slide but wasnāt to be.
Pick 27 - Mitch Knevitt GE - C,F
Might have taken this guy a bit early? Not really sighted in the pre-season but again, good junior numbers. Felt that if Geelong had enough confidence to pick the local guy then heāll end up being a player. Maybe wonāt show much this year.
Pick 45 - Finn Maginness HW - C
Iām in a position where I can afford to take on pure Cs. Potentially set for a break-out year. Just found out he has also played back in the VFL so potential to gain a position before the season is out.
Pick 63 - Cody Weightman WB - F
Follows a long tradition of ā ā ā ā ā ā in the Stop! Hammertown line-up. Going to wear Alan Didakās number this season. Looks like he will have a decent career, just a question of how that translates to FF scoring.
Pick 81- Darcy Fort BL - R,F
My ruck stock are pretty dire. Felt I needed McInerneyās back-up as insurance although donāt expect Fort to be much of a scorer.
Pick 99 - Patrick Naish WC - C
Should get a game early so will find out if he is up to it. Probably wonāt be.
Pick 117 - Dougal Howard SK - B
Had a few backs slip through my fingers and couldnāt let another round pass without getting some depth in. Scored well last season but that might have been an abberation. Is in the St. Kilda leadership group so should play when available. Still a good age.
Pick 135 - Dan Butler SK - F
Redraft. Interesting to me that he slipped this far, if St. Kilda have a better season as a team, think he might get a 10 point boost to his average.
Pick 153 - Jake Kolodjashnij GE - B
Is this the āgood oneā? Has never been a high-scorer but seems to be best 22. If some of the older Geelong players fall away then he may get more of a link-up role.
Pick 170 - Marlion Pickett RI - C,R
Needed more ruck-depth! Handy position-flexibility, and with Richmond looking to rebound after a poor season last year, could see him take on a different role this year. Likely to be in decline, but maybe will got he other way.
6 Likes
Well, itās all happening for us early!
Coleman , Rivers already injured. Now Lever facing a late fitness test. Only saving grace is that Tomlinson might be the āinā.
Me too!
I know Iām gonna get smashed this week, and that my rebuild has been half-hearted at best, and Iāve probably drafted terribly, and Iāll once again finish 10th-7th which takes me absolutely nowhereā¦
But Iām excited!
Good luck, stupid Flanders, and hereās to a great season for everyone.
2 Likes
Actually hadnāt checked. Iām playing Wez. Good luck mate.
If I had to nominate one semi realistic hope, itās that we hit 1250+ .
All the best to all coaches. Covid is gonna make things interesting again.
1 Like
Hawthornās team will be interesting. Several players will miss due to Covid - Hardwick, McEvoy & Breust have been mentioned on BF as possibilities - Sicily has also been said to both have covid and be fine.
Lachie Hunter demoted to sub in a big win for @Trotters.
I was feverishly looking for the teams.
Then I realised I donāt have 1 Carlton or Richmond player on my list.
Hopefully I get some luck at the selection table tomorrow.
Weāve moving back to the old system.
Lockout: Friday 7.50pm ADST (8:50am UK/3:50am US CT)
3 Likes