I think we need the hardest players to get, a couple of top 10-15 players in the league.
It’s easy to say that when half of those players are too young to have shown much. When Cox, Reid, Hobbs, Perkins and Tsatas are all in their 3rd year or less.
#1: McGrath - not materially worse than the next 10 odd picks after him.
#5: Parish - the second best midfielder available at that pick (Dunkley only one better, went about 20 picks later)
#5: Tsatas - who knows yet.
#6: Francis - a bust. Similar to Sache and Weideman from that draft.
#8: Cox - very promising early signs, we’ll see as he gets over injuries
#9: Perkins - looked very damaging as a forward
#10: Reid - been hit hard by injuries. Good reports, but struggled to stay on the field.
#13: Hobbs - looking very good.
I’d note, historically you’d expect around a third of those to be busts, a third to be decent players and a third very good players.
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We should be going smalls, probably midfielders.
Yeah let’s get more midfielders and play Caldwell at CHF.
We need quality talls badly. Emphasis on quality.
Nah mate we have harry jones, weed, BZT, Laverde and Reid. Thats our talls sorted for the next 10 years!
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we don’t need small midfielders 
maybe 188cm+ midfielders, I’d take Caddy. around the mark if we lose the next few, can mid and forward and bigger body, could be anything.
Duursma 189cm
Caddy 192cm
Sanders 186cm but a bull like Horne -Francis
Hardeman - like the name - half back flanker 188cm. maybe with our second rounder?
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You draft for 4-5 years down the track, not for next year. When Shiel will be gone, Parish ageing, Merrett probably not in midfield, and Setterfield will be 29 or so. Plus, Blitzers want a dominant midfield. Well, the way you do that is by over-investing so that you get the most chance of having a number of hits.
I think Lav, Baldwin, Zerk and Ridley are fine down back, with Hayes looking promising. I think between Reid, Jones and Hunter there is a good chance we’ll have 1-2 quality tall forwards.
So yes, I do think the talls are reasonably sorted, if we can keep them on the park. And if we can’t, I’d prefer to take a midfielder and trade a tall forward next year than take an U18 another one.
Although Caddy might be in a special position as he can possibly play midfield.
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Other than looking similar with the blonde hair and socks, i don’t see sanders as like Horne Francis at all really. He doesn’t have the same speed and hit the contest hard factor that Horne has. Good footballer though, more an accumulator.
Sorry mate, but I think you’re way off with the predictions.
Only someone with rose coloured glasses on could look at that list of talls and think we’re sorted. There’s one A-harder in that whole bunch (Ridley) and he’s more suited to a third tall/intercepting role.
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There’s one A grader down back now if you write off all the kids. Up forward what is Wright? Chopped liver?
Lav…baldwin…zerk…
Give me a spell. These are above average VFL players battling admirably at AFL level
Maybe room for 1. Not 3
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Ants always has a lot of faith in guys on the list. He’d have probably made Luke Lavender and Henry Crauford as part of a case a few years back for not needing rucks or forwards!
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I’d agree if you were trying to win the premiership in the next 2 seasons. But if we are taking a long term view it’s Hayes and Reid that we want as our pillars for our premiership side.
Looking at the backline talls… Ridley, BZT, Lav, Baldwin, Hayes, Reid and Cox is fine as a developing group, we shouldn’t go for Mckay.
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ESSENDON
Draft picks: 8, 27, 46, 63
List chasm: While there have been some improvements in this area under Brad Scott, the Bombers still have some defensive flaws. They’re ranked 14th in the competition for points conceded, 15th for opposition chains to score percentage and 18th for pressure applied. The Bombers could partly address these issues at the trade table, with the club strongly linked to free agent Ben McKay, as well as Harry Himmelberg, while Brandon Zerk-Thatcher has suitors at other clubs. But Essendon could target a key defender at the draft, as well as high-pressure forwards or midfielders.
Ideal draft prospects: Murray Bushrangers star Connor O’Sullivan could still be on the board when the Bombers pick. The Allies’ MVP from their recent national championships triumph, O’Sullivan knows when to stay on his man and when to peel off and intercept – and he’s equally adept at both arts. First-round bolter Ollie Murphy — a 200cm key defender — could also be in the Bombers’ sights. Murphy, who took out Vic Metro’s MVP award, is lightly built and framed for now, but when he’s ready to go at AFL level, watch out – for he’s got great size and athletic ability, as well as a pinpoint left-foot kick.
I’m gonna flip if we waste a top 10 pick on a 200cm bean pole
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He’d also have Brand and Eyre still on the list. Agree too much faith in talls.
Unless we can find a 190’ish cm midfielder/forward with pace, strength and a good kick, I’m looking at KPF’s. Curtin, Caddy, maybe Archer Reid as a 2nd rounder. I believe he’s reasonably solidly built, not likely to break in two.
And if Dodoro were to try to nominate one of his left-field picks in the second round, we see RFK and Merv sitting on his head, and Scott walking in to nominate a real pick.
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We’re going to blow a high end pick on a tall skinny injury prone KPP and YOU WILL LIKE IT
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Happy to use our second pick on a kpp but our top 10 pick should be off limits we have had too much bad luck.
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We’ve literally taken one genuine KPP in the first round since 2012 (Reid).
Cameron, Curnow, McKay, Lynch, Kennedy, Wright, Himmelberg, Max/Ben King, Jamarra, Naughton, Franklin and Reiwoldt were all first round picks and I’m sure I’m missing some. Most of them were top 10 or pre-selections.
That should probably tell you all you need to know.
You get a few serviceable talls from the second round onwards but it’s a ■■■■■■■ chook lottery.
I think all bar Curnow and McKay were above any selection we had access to also
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