Our early draft picks

[deanox 8,657]

They are? Why don't we have any then?

:D

mids are easy to find. ok mids are easier to find than ok forwards. but elite mids are just as hard to find as elite forwards. scully is apparently elite. after that, wiith 7 players vying for pick 2 it sounds like none of them are elite (yet). if we believe any of those players will develop into elite then that is who we pick regardless of position. if we think they will all be of similar caliber then we pick best available and position will come into it.

[Steamin Demon 370]

i still think butcher could be good.. twin towers look so good.. plus every year you get good mids in the draft.. it isnt often you get a good tall key forward !!

Agreed, Good mids are alot easier to find than good tall forwards. Take the Bulldogs for example good mids and no good tall strong forwards, This is why they will keep falling just short of that elusive flag. I don't want to see Melbourne go down the same path of getting close but just missing out.

[Dee tention 611]

I still think we need to get pick 7 somehow. That's where you get your gun mids these days.

Meanwhile, going on what I've read, which is of course of limited use, there seems to be a pretty strong first round's worth of this draft.

I'd be fascinated to see what we get with our pick in the very late teens, or higher if we can bump it up a little in trade week.

I'm not completely joking about pick seven though - I'd throw every later pick we had that plus an expendable player or two to get another top ten pick, if I had to.

In that scenario, I'd think Scully, Jack Trengove, and then someone who offers a forward threat with 7. I like recruiting from the NT, it seems to go well, so that would mean Troy Taylor, just to ensure our entire forward line is freak-stylish (Watts, Jurrah, Wonaeamirri, Taylor).

I think your right on the money DD!

Scully. Trengrove at 1 & 2. Trade for an earlier pick if possible! Will be very difficult next draft though I would imagine. If we have Pick 7 for example take best KP or next best available. I believe we can use our picks after 1 & 2 on KP.

Would Taylor slip through to Pick 18?

The Bulldogs are able to kick big scores mainly through there midfield. So midfield players are good. They can play forward also. It comes down to the delivery into the forward line I believe. MIDFIELDERS, MIDFIELDERS, MIDFIELDERS!

Watts, Jurrah, Garland, Aussie, Jetta, Maric, Sylvia, Bate (Trade), Miller

HF Sylvia Watts Jurrah

FF Jetta Garland Aussie

[Hannabal 4]

Hannabal, given our midfield issues and hindsight, do you think that we may have been better off going for a midfielder rather than a key forward?

As you have well noted, star key forwards are not a necessity for a premiership but a top flight midfield is.

No. It either got down to Rich or Watts and I haven't changed my mind who I'd prefer. If Watts is as good as I suspect he'll be you can build a premiership forward line around such a creative tall. We did need that class in our forward line and he was a rare opportunity. One too good to pass up.

You and I could feed a small nation with the amount of words we regurgitated before last year's draft and the merits of Rich over Watts, big forward lines and small ones, and vice versa, so I'll not bore you again with why I wanted him. But now he's firmly in place and it looks as though we could land the opportunity to identify the (our) two best kids in the land then for me it's an amazing opportunity to bolster one of the worst midfields I've ever seen. Essendon's midfield thrashed us and their best mid only borders A-grade, so how are we travelling ?

As for some posters assertions that good mids are easy to find ? I suppose it's how we grade 'good mids'. But I don't want just 'good mids'. With picks 1 and 2 we have the chance to draft to elite mids. And we haven't had an elite mid in the AFL. It would also provide a real chance to snare a flag in the next 6-8 years.

I don't have a problem with people thinking Butcher. I can see the merits in him also. It's a tough one, but for the reasons outined I'd go with the mid. Sydney won a flag and drafted their tall - Hall, Geelong won a flag and drafted their tall - Mooney, Brisbane won 3 flags and drafted their tall - Lynch.

Let's get the midfield elite.

[Axis of Bob 10,251]

Wasn't having a go, but I was interested to see if you had changed your mind given how strong you were on choosing a key forward over a midfielder last year.

FWIW, I was for a midfielder last year but I decided that Rich wasn't the best available player (due to his running ability) at pick 1 so ended up settling on Watts as well.

And we need Scully - our midfield lacks a dynamic inside midfielder (or any elite midfielder) and he is an awesome talent. I'm undecided about our second pick, though. I think the development this year of our running mid-sized forwards has been very promising and gives us a dynamic up forward that could work well if we had a good midfield.

[H_T 2,941]

I'm very much now in the 'two mids' camp.

Personally I hope they pick the 2 very best available

Our club has stated that we will go for the best 2 players in the draft. That we need stars. They've hinted at a midfielder and a KPF as the items on the shopping list.

Make no mistake about it, I want the best 2 available picks. I don't think a Scully and/or Blease on top of our current midfield will cut it against the 'premier' midfields of the competition.

So yes, we do need a replenishment of sorts amongst the midfield. However, this is what the club will decide what is best and quite frankly we can talk and post all we want to, it won't make one iota of difference to the decision come October/November.

You can be assured that what will take place between here and the end of season - and most likely has already begun (ie midseason review), is that the club will analyse and scrutinise our midfield and weigh up with the recruiting reports coming in - the balance of whether they target a star KPF if available (dependant upon what picks..) or replenish the midfield with two picks. Right now it's probably 50/50 and what happens at the bottom of the table - is fair to say - is what might influence such a decision. In my opinion I can see both alternatives. If anything the debut of Jurrah may have swung my thinking to the two elite mids just a little.

[Freak 100]

it will be butcher. Everyone is kidding themselves if they think we can rely on liam jurrah for the next 10 years. he was pick 1 in the pre-season draft for Gods sake. I'm not going to handle having bate, jetta and miller in our forward line trying to kick goals. Watts will push up the ground riewoldt style so someone needs to own the forward 50m. Or even imagine Butcher and Watts in the forward 50m alone. Both are 197 and 196cm respectively. Could be the new age of key forwards.

A Midfield of Scully, Jones, Mclean, Blease, Moloney, Maric, Grimes, Strauss etc is easily good enough

[beelzebub 22,225]

it will be butcher. Everyone is kidding themselves if they think we can rely on liam jurrah for the next 10 years. he was pick 1 in the pre-season draft for Gods sake. I'm not going to handle having bate, jetta and miller in our forward line trying to kick goals. Watts will push up the ground riewoldt style so someone needs to own the forward 50m. Or even imagine Butcher and Watts in the forward 50m alone. Both are 197 and 196cm respectively. Could be the new age of key forwards.

A Midfield of Scully, Jones, Mclean, Blease, Moloney, Maric, Grimes, Strauss etc is easily good enough

yeah... cant rely too much on smokie picks hey... oh whats his name..that bloke Davey !!

[The Emblem 1]

A Midfield of Scully, Jones, Mclean, Blease, Moloney, Maric, Grimes, Strauss etc is easily good enough

I hope you're right, the premiership teams of this decade have mostly had at least 3 to 4 out-and-out "A Grade" midfielders.

[LITTLE STINGA 1]

it will be butcher. Everyone is kidding themselves if they think we can rely on liam jurrah for the next 10 years. he was pick 1 in the pre-season draft for Gods sake. I'm not going to handle having bate, jetta and miller in our forward line trying to kick goals. Watts will push up the ground riewoldt style so someone needs to own the forward 50m. Or even imagine Butcher and Watts in the forward 50m alone. Both are 197 and 196cm respectively. Could be the new age of key forwards.

A Midfield of Scully, Jones, Mclean, Blease, Moloney, Maric, Grimes, Strauss etc is easily good enough

If we want a 197cm forward who can't kick we may as well have Martin there. Your kidding yourself if you think our midfield is good enough they haven't done anything.

[beelzebub 22,225]

It seems to me its easier to find people to kick goals than it is to run hard and effectively all day in the middle. Id be looking for another mid. Injuries seem more prone to these players and real depth..and quality depth is required

[Strawbsodwyer 0]

two mids, have a look at geelong you would not say mooney and hawkins are stars but there midfield ensures that they look respectable

[H_T 2,941]

two mids, have a look at geelong you would not say mooney and hawkins are stars but there midfield ensures that they look respectable

Fair point.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

two mids, have a look at geelong you would not say mooney and hawkins are stars but there midfield ensures that they look respectable

*Cough*

Might they have Steve Johnson as well?

[e25 5]

*Cough*

Might they have Steve Johnson as well?

Don't ruin his argument like that!

[beelzebub 22,225]

Still......Corey,Bartel, Ablett, Selwood , Chapman and Ling do make a rather compelling case

[Strawbsodwyer 0]

This topic is dealing with whether we want a key forward or a mid. Hawkins and Mooney represent the key forwards for geelong. From how I see it Johnson is not a key forward but more of an opportunist hf flanker.

[The O 39]

I think you're right on the money Dee tention. Reckon they will (and should) pick Scully and Trengrove as 1 & 2 and try and look for a KP with a trade. Trengrove has climbed significantly in a lot of people's minds due to his game against Vic Metro. He reminds me of a young Mark Bickley who finds the ball very easily and uses it exceptionally. He like Scully has leadership qualities stamped all over him.

Freak having seen Butcher play twice this year, I don't think he has the potential to be an A+ grade player. He doesn't have the workrate or the attitude at this stage of his career and I personally don't know whether he can develop it. Whilst he's certainly got many strong qualities his height should not necessarily dictate that he goes as high as pick 2. As the game is getting quicker and quicker (especially when you consider the WB, Geelong, the Dons extra speed this year and why Collingwood are so hard to play against). It isnt the height, rather the speed and their ball movement.

For what its worth I think Ben Griffiths would be a good pick up, although a bit of unknown to many that I would love to see at the Dees is Nick Westhoff (from West Adelaide), who is the cousin of Justin & Matt Westhoff at Port. Nick Westhoff is a 198cm, full forward who has been playing in the seniors at West Adel. Has a basketball background similar to J. Watts is very athletic (with very strong workrate) and making waves in the SANFL. Recently kicked a couple of bags of 4 and 5, with a massive upside to his potential.

[MikeyJ 60]

While we're discussing the young fella from SA, let's remember that his name is Trengove, NOT Trengrove.

There's only one 'r' - same as Jackson Trengove (no relation) who was drafted by Port Adelaide last year.

[beelzebub 22,225]

The likely hood is again we will bring 6 players into the fold. with obviously six departing. Preferably , for mine , picks 1 and 2 for mids...then...then...the best players of any ilk

Scully seems a monty.. time will tell who shuffles up best on day for pick 2.

[Carn dees 108]

Some good Tall Forwards for this Draft :- Joel Houghton, Alex Keath, John Butcher, Jack Fitzpatrick, Nathan Vardy, Ben Griffiths, Matthew Panos, M Pitt, David Astbury, Tom Hill,

There is plenty for us to pick 2nd or 3rd round.

Thats how i see it peronally atm id go with trengove and scully though i cant say ive seen enough of any other midfeilder other than scully.

[ChaserJ 3,964]

Haven't seen Butcher personally, and there's a lot being written about him. I can see parallels between him and Watts in terms of two young key position blokes with big reputations, that are getting criticism for not performing to those expectations (however realistic, or informed those expectations are). Like Watt's, Butcher has had an interrupted pre-season (well no preseason really) after surgery and I wonder how much of an effect that's had on his output.

[Freak 100]

mids are easier to find. end of story.

[Roost It 1,434]

mids are easier to find. end of story.

Elite mids are just as hard to find as elite forwards, end of story

[grant 10]

Come on ppl pull your head in, KPF is what we need ie Butcher

Quality mids and dime a dozen in this league and the league has a plethora of quality mids found late in the draft, pick 40s and beyond. Show me how many dominant forwards today were taken as late picks..

Its time to do what St Kilda and Hawthorn did with their priority picks (not that long ago when in the dungeons):

2000 draft: Stkilda pick 1 (Reiwold), pick 2 (risky pick up Kozi who is a gun)

2004 draft: Hawthorn pick 2 (Roughead), pick 5 (risky pick up of Franklin who had no upper body strength and couldnt at the time do a pushup when recruited which is actual fact)

With pick 2 melb must make the risky move of selecting Butcher because rated KPFs only present themselves early in the draft.