2025 draft spec (Part 1)

[Ants]

I’m saying they got lucky that Collingwood’s pick turned out to be #2, given in the surrounding 6-7 years their first picks were late teens.

[Ants]

North were right to take JHF. Their stuff up was passing the Adelaide deal. They could then have used #4 on Amiss, and taken one of Humphrey/Phillipou the next year.

[Heppelltitis]

@Ants

@Heppelltitis

@Crazy_Bomber

How easy is it to find any player of any really high calibre? You have to finish bottom 2-3 to get these kind of players.

We’ve spent a decade trying to find midfielders and failed most times.

And we have identified where we ■■■■■■ up there and rectified it at last. Dodoro.

That mistake, does not mean selecting midfielders in the top 10 was a bad strategy. It simply means nothing other than… we had a ■■■■ recruiter.

No, the problem was finishing midtable. Most teams don’t find numerous elite players outside the top 5 or so picks.

Most teams (not us) have found those players. You can move on from your Dodoro defence, he’s not with us anymore.

[Ants]

Outside of Geelong, where are the many examples?

We’ve had a few too such as Merrett (I think Ridley too if he could stay on the park).

[noobermensch]

I agree with this. Callaghan had his supporters but he wasn’t at the same level as JHF and Daicos as a talent. The two viable options seemed to be picking JHF and hoping he settled in Melbourne, or taking the Crows offer.

People forget that the crows offer wasn’t fully 3 first round picks either, they wanted two second rounders back in the deal, and the players considered viable options at those three picks weren’t amazing in hindsight. Amiss would have been a good get, but they could have ended up with Rachele, Ward or Gibcus. I liked Humphrey in 2022 but hasn’t exactly torn the roof off yet.

[Ants]

I think it was only one second back.

Obviously hindsight, but the fact they got #8 and a 2023 teens pick for him makes the Adelaide deal fantastic in comparison.

[Finding_Nino]

@noobermensch

Cody Curtin - brother of Dan, but more of a prototype key tall. Much better overhead than Dan. Played more as a defender, but swung forward late in the colts season and kicked back to back bags of 6. Reckon he has a natural feel for forward craft, and really good below his knees.

Sounds like a Dodo pick

[noobermensch]

There are some similarities to Hurley in the way he plays. I don’t think any of us would be unhappy to have another Hurls on the list.

[Finding_Nino]

As long he’s not a stick like Cox or Reid

[noobermensch]

You could just watch the video I posted not that far up this thread and check for yourself.

[Tagger]

Not sure if the Crows would want to do that trade in hindsight. Pretty sure it would have been JHF for Rankine and Rachelle (as the following year, Crows traded their first for Rankine)

[Heppelltitis]

@Ants

Outside of Geelong, where are the many examples?

We’ve had a few too such as Merrett (I think Ridley too if he could stay on the park).

This is only off the top of my head.

Quality 1st round midfielders, taken outside the top 5,:
Serong, Holmes, Dangerfield, Green, Butters, Cripps, Day

Outside the 1st round: Merrett, Fyfe, Warner, Gulden, Dawson, Neale

You can look at the list of brownlow medal winners, majority are taken outside top 5. Martin the only exception in the last 11 years.

Obviously there are plenty in the top 5. But this idea that if it’s outside the top 5, then we may as well pick for a different position, I can’t agree with.

We need another A grader to go with Merrett. Possible we may have 1 in either Tsatas or Durham. But by the time we discover if they are, we’ll still need another again, as Merrett will probs be off a flank.

[whereswalla]

Go watch the video; he’s no stick…

[Ants]

@Tagger

Not sure if the Crows would want to do that trade in hindsight. Pretty sure it would have been JHF for Rankine and Rachelle (as the following year, Crows traded their first for Rankine)

Absolutely agreed. North should have taken the deal, most here said so at the time (although obviously unlikely Rankine would have gone to North).

[Ants]

@Heppelltitis

@Ants

Outside of Geelong, where are the many examples?

We’ve had a few too such as Merrett (I think Ridley too if he could stay on the park).

This is only off the top of my head.

Quality 1st round midfielders, taken outside the top 5,:
Serong, Holmes, Dangerfield, Green, Butters, Cripps, Day

Outside the 1st round: Merrett, Fyfe, Warner, Gulden, Dawson, Neale

You can look at the list of brownlow medal winners, majority are taken outside top 5. Martin the only exception in the last 11 years.

Obviously there are plenty in the top 5. But this idea that if it’s outside the top 5, then we may as well pick for a different position, I can’t agree with.

We need another A grader to go with Merrett. Possible we may have 1 in either Tsatas or Durham. But by the time we discover if they are, we’ll still need another again, as Merrett will probs be off a flank.

You listed 13, some of whom were drafted around 15 years ago. So, about 1 a team and/or year. Which makes hitting Merrett about average. And of course we don’t know what going to particular teams matters. Tim Kelly looked like a champion at Geelong, but less at WCE.

But I don’t think you’ve proved your original argument that other teams find multiple high calibre midfielders with mid to poor picks. And we’ve got Merrett and the promising Martin, so it’s not like it’s all misses.

[Tagger]

Same for us and the Tsatas deal. Not to make a slight on Tsatas, but history shows teams can get silly on draft night and trade way overs for picks

[Heppelltitis]

@Ants

@Heppelltitis

@Ants

Outside of Geelong, where are the many examples?

We’ve had a few too such as Merrett (I think Ridley too if he could stay on the park).

This is only off the top of my head.

Quality 1st round midfielders, taken outside the top 5,:
Serong, Holmes, Dangerfield, Green, Butters, Cripps, Day

Outside the 1st round: Merrett, Fyfe, Warner, Gulden, Dawson, Neale

You can look at the list of brownlow medal winners, majority are taken outside top 5. Martin the only exception in the last 11 years.

Obviously there are plenty in the top 5. But this idea that if it’s outside the top 5, then we may as well pick for a different position, I can’t agree with.

We need another A grader to go with Merrett. Possible we may have 1 in either Tsatas or Durham. But by the time we discover if they are, we’ll still need another again, as Merrett will probs be off a flank.

You listed 13, some of whom were drafted around 15 years ago. So, about 1 a team and/or year. Which makes hitting Merrett about average. And of course we don’t know what going to particular teams matters. Tim Kelly looked like a champion at Geelong, but less at WCE.

But I don’t think you’ve proved your original argument that other teams find multiple high calibre midfielders with mid to poor picks. And we’ve got Merrett and the promising Martin, so it’s not like it’s all misses.

I should have known better than to reply.

I literally spent 30s listing names (only current players) off the top of my head. I stated as such if you cared to pay attention.
It was not supposed to be an exhaustive list. Using averages off an incomplete list is absurd… like why would you even!?

Yes I listed 13 players from about 30s of thinking, well and truly proves my point that there are top end mids available after pick 5.

At no point did I say other teams get multiple with “mid to poor picks”. My original argument if you want to keep on topic, was that we would be wise to use 1 of our 2 first round picks this year on a mid, regardless of whether that pick lies outside the top 3-5.

[Houli_Dooley]

@Bully

Yeah but you’ll just end up with Anglo kids from poor neighborhoods taking the spots if that’s the case. The whole purpose of the nga system is to increase the number of multicultural (African and Asian) background kids into the afl, as well as more indigenous kids.

I’m happy with currently:

• African and asian kids with a parent born overseas.
• indigenous kids being included.

Not happy with:
- It doesn’t include Polynesian kids (a lot of potential talent here. i even spoke to the manager of afl multicultural the other day Pauly V, he was telling me they’re seeing a lot more talent from Fijian backgrounds which suprised me, which makes their lack of eligibility even stranger).

• the free for all on indigenous background kids with no limits set to it, like the other nga access kids.
• no limit on how long a kid is in an academy to be eligible, it should be they need to at least start in the academy at 16 years old.

I think if they improve those last 3 points, the system will work very well.

Here we go @Bully

Looks like there could be some movement here.

Clubs pitch for access to Pacific island talent as part of NGA changes - https://www.afl.com.au/news/1278009

[Bully]

Great stuff mate thanks for letting me know, i was literally talking to the head of AFL multicultural a few days ago and mentioned this exact topic .

He was telling me they’re starting to see some talent come outta Polynesian kids, including Fijian background which surprised me. I also mentioned my issues with indigenous eligibility and how it needs some parameters around it too, so will be interesting if we see any movement in that space as well.

[Rhino-D]

For @noobermensch and the other draft watchers.

If we find ourselves right at the pointy end (let’s say with a top 3 pick) - are there any standouts at this point ( noting it’s obviously a long way out)