Yeah.
But if we did that, we’d have 30 half back flankers.
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You can make that work as long as one of them is McKenna. We clearly should be playing the Wallace mega flood, and then breaking hard from defence.
17 list managers could have received an sms from their coaches on Jack Graham. Taken as pick 53 the LASTpick in round 3 of last year’s draft. All clubs had 3 picks and overlooked him.
He captained SA, AA and won the Larke medal with 25 disposal average. Check the 2016 phantom drafts - EmmaQ, CalT and BrettA had him pick 23/24 to Brisbane, Knightmare had him at 22 to ESSENDON.
It seems that recruiters sometimes can’t see what’s in front of them. He seems to be a natural footballer, great kick under pressure, big bodied and tough. Dimma put him on Rory Sloane at half time and shut him down completely.
Perhaps we should looking at all available big bodied mids in the draft.
Terry Wallace quotes a statistic that 85% of big bodied mids make it as against only 35% of lighter bodied.
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Dodora prefers 176cm 72kg mids who are more at home on the HBF
Or HFF’s that he hopes will one day get midfield time.
Did he say what “big bodied” means in that context, or “makes it”? Because 85% is a ■■■■■■■ high number for successful draftees.
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Plough`s figure 85% could have been compared to all draftees KPP, rucks, medium fwds and defs.
Whoosha might have more input this year. Don`t forget this year our recruiting dept has the addition of a Pro Scout, Bryce Lewis ex NM senior recruiter. He monitors other clubs lists and watches their reserve games. He drafted Zeibel and Cunnington.
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Really? What have we become
Richmond winning shows we are as much a chance to make it next year as the others. To come back as we did this year after the disruption of last year, combined with the massive turmoil from 2013, says the talent and potential is there to build into a premiership side. Worsfold only had one season to work with the full list, and overall we did very well. Where we need to vastly improve is having the discipline and culture to execute the game plan week in week out. 100% intensity around the ball. 100% accountability. Being ruthless. Believing you are going to win.
It’s that mindset that winning teams have. And we have lacked the ability to consistently achieve it. Get our heads right and we’ll be a long way there.
11 Likes
Nah, just smart of Carlton to plant SOS in GWS to play the long game - this all hinges on Carlton climbing the ladder of course.
I thought Graham looked good last year, but there were questions on his pace or kicking.
At the moment he’s a premiership player, and he played a big role in the team winning that flag, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be a long term success at AFL level, or would have been successful at another club. He’s played 5 games.
Good luck to him, and he was great yesterday, hopefully he has a long career (but not too successful!)
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If you read through this well done and thanks. An opinionated and pointed look at our list. I expect lots of disagreement.
Best 22
Hurley. Hartley. Gleeson.
McKenna. Ambrose. Saad.
Bellchambers. Z Merret. Parish.
McGrath. Heppell. Smith.
Fantasia. Daniher. Stringer.
Tipungwuti. Hooker. Stewart.
Langford.
Zaharakis.
Begley.
Goddard.
Best 22 midfield mix
Inside mids
Heppell
Langford (that’s what his VFL apprenticeship has been for)
Inside / Outside mids
Z Merret
Parish
McGrath
Goddard
Zaharakis
Smith
Stringer
Begley
If you include Tipungwuti and Fantasia that is 12 players who can rotate through the middle. McKenna may be another 12 months away but…he may get some wing time in 2018.
Hepp, Langford, Zerret, Darcy, McGrath, Smith and Zakka carrying the biggest midfield load.
Goalkickers who play through middle
Fantasia
Smith
Tipungwuti
Begley
Stringer
Mid / Defenders who can play behind the ball
McGrath
Heppell
Zerret (can put him in both camps but with our fwd weopons I would like him linking up behind the ball).
Goddard
I also think there is a possibility we will end up with Schache. In that case Schache plays FF and Hooker takes Hartleys spot down back.
Additional players on the list.
Mutch.
Francis
Myers
Colyer
Leuenberger
Brown
Dea
Clarke
Redman
Morgan
Draper
Howlett
Ridley
Green
McNiece
Delisted players from 2017
Kelly retired.
Watson retired
Stanton retired
Eades rookie delisting / retired
McKernan rookie delisting
Jake Long rookie delisting
Heath Hocking senior delisting
Craig Bird senior delisting
Jackson Merrett senior delisting
Recruiting summary
In
Stringer
Smith
Saad
- Pick 48
- Pick 67
- McNiece (may get rookie B upgrade to senior list)
- Draper (rookie upgrade)
- Luke Lavender (rookie B)
Best 10 players on list
- Joe Daniher
- Zach Merrett
- Michael Hurley
- Cale Hooker
- Jake Stringer
- Orazio Fantasia
- Dyson Heppell
- Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
- Brendan Goddard
- Devon Smith
Next 10
11. David Zaharakis
12. Andrew McGrath
13. Darcy Parish
14. Tom Bellchambers
15. Patrick Ambrose
16. Adam Saad
17. Martin Gleeson
18. Conor McKenna
19. James Stewart
20. Michael Hartley
- Note Hurley is my only defender in my top 10 players. To the eye McKenna looks a little underated.
High ceiling players under 22 with expected output still to be determined.
(Listed from most certain to least certain of reaching potential - not actual perceived potential)
-
McGrath
-
Parish
3 McKenna -
Mutch
-
Begley
-
Langford
-
Ridley (off small sample size)
-
Laverde
-
Francis
- Is Redman a high potential or a role player…
Some of these 190cm+ utilities like Langford, Ridley, Laverde and Francis have huge potential. We need 2 of these 4 to make it. I’m really confident in the first 5 becoming bonafide AFL players.
VFL best 18 (AFL listed players only)
McNiece. Brown. Morgan.
Ridley. Francis. Dea.
Colyer. Myers. Redman.
Leuenberger. Howlett. Mutch.
Laverde. ? Clarke.
Green. Draper. ?
8 Likes
Just to show I read it… some comments.
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The Ambrose / Hartley / Hurley KPD combination has to be a concern. It didn’t work all that effectively last year.
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The bloke you are playing on the primary small forward really should be named in the FB line. You’ve put Saad on the HBF because you want to show run off that line, but in reality, in that side he is the lockdown small defender.
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The Daniher / Hooker / Stewart / Stringer tall forward line may or may not work. We did so very well with the 3 small forwards. Are we really going to move away from that? Where Stringer fits in our side over preseason and into round 1 is going to be very interesting.
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No Laverde… anywhere until you get down to your potentials list. I point this out because I don’t know what we are going to do with this kid in 2018. But in my opinion if we don’t do something best 22 with him, then he is gone at the end of the year to greener pastures (which may not be a bad thing, but I’d prefer to play him and let him show what he has got).
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On your best 10 players… I think I’m unusual in that I rate Hooker as a better player than Hurley. Stringer at 5 is a big massive call. Fantasia is the one that may again surprise. Walla doesn’t fit in that top 10 in my opinion as I think he goes missing a bit too much although his highlights are amazing. On the way up, I have Parish and McGrath moving upwards at a rapid rate (as do you I note but I have probably gone a bit earlier).
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Just check your numbering with your High ceiling players… as I can’t work out what you are doing with McKenna. You’ve queried Redman on the basis of perhaps only being a role player. And yet in my mind similar can be said for Langford and Mutch.
Nice post.
5 Likes
nice post and fairly good summary. The thing that stands out for me is the quality and depth of quality in the list. Said it last year and we have just improved again. It is truly remarkable when you consider the sanctions and what we have been through. We all know the ‘bottom 6’ philosophy and I think it holds true. I also think you can simplify arguments about best 22 when you ask “would that player walk into the best 22 at any other club”.
During our dark patches (non-saga, just crap football) I felt like our ‘top 10’ as half full of guys that probably wouldn’t even get a game in most teams. They become overrated because it was the best we had to work with.
I now look at the list and I would say the following guys are ‘walk up’ starters (if fit and in form) in most (if not all) other sides in the comp:
Zerrett
Parish
Fanta
JD
Hooker
Hurley
Heppell
McGrath
Stringer
Saad
Smith
Walla
Zahakis
That is 13 of your 22. You would then say that Goddard and Baguley would still probably get a gig in most teams and you get to 15.
So that is when you get to our ‘bottom 7’… the guys that we rate but who may not be ‘automatic’ starters in every team in the league. Our difference makers. And we have:
McKenna (could be elite), Ambrose (very solid shut down defender), Stewart (quality tall), Bellchambers (the biggest ‘hole’ in our list), Colyer (elite pace), Gleeson (very solid), Myers (meh), Green (solid fwd)
I reckon that our bottom 7 would go close to selection in lots of other teams. You then have the ‘unknown’ developing players like: Laverde, Langford, Mutch, Ridley, Begley to fall back on. With Bird, Dea, Jerrett all still on the list too.
After we delist a few more this year… I really feel this will be our cleanest list in years. I see very little deadwood. That is not to say they will all be stars but there is a purpose to every player on the list. The quality of players 38-40 is just exceptional imho.
I’d be very confident to say that our ‘list build’ is almost complete. Now we have to maintain etc etc but the bulk of the heavy lifting is done.
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Stewart is not in our bottom 7, not even close to being in the bottom group.
Exactly my point. I’d agree that McKenna isn’t ‘bottom 7’ level either… or Ambrose or Gleeson…
So who would you swap out of the ‘top 15’ for Stewart?
I wouldn’t swap out McKenna or Stewart and would instead say we have a top 17.
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Fair enough… although my original premise was the concept of walking straight onto every other teams best 22. In my opinion Stewart doesn’t do that.
As a 2nd/3rd mobile tall he is very good, and great for our structure, but he wouldn’t walk onto every team in the AFL imho.
Again… I’m not trying to be argumentative… I really rate our list… I think our best 22 (on paper) is one of the best in the league… and that means it runs deep for talent.
I could name quite a few teams that would put Stewart straight into their teams without blinking. I don’t think your premise on him is correct and that you undervalue his worth to the team’s forward line…