Geelong at 16 is too early for Jones.

Maybe a rough diamond, but he's rough now.

And only really a hard-at-it pacey HBF with average skills.

Correct. Mid 20's at best.

He is a diamond in the rough with potential but lacks confidence and skill to use the left side of his body.

I wouldn't complain if we took him with our second pick provided they thought he was genuinely best available.

Correct. Mid 20's at best.

He is a diamond in the rough with potential but lacks confidence and skill to use the left side of his body.

I wouldn't complain if we took him with our second pick provided they thought he was genuinely best available.

Yes however our second pick is #40 and we would be wildly optimistic if he slid that far. Maybe we should let him develop at another Club and then come across to us in two years time when we are ready to have a tilt at the Finals?

When does the delisted free agency period start?

Cross is all but confirmed coming to us in that period, I wonder if there is anyone else that is on the clubs radar

I hope they don't, i have a funny feeling they will pick up Kolodashinj for pick 6.

Won't happen. If you can't spell it right, how do you think Joffa & the cheer squad will cope.

Overall I would judge our trade period as a B+. Our recruiting was very targeted this year and we helped address our weakness in the midfield despite losing our second best midfielder.

IMO the pick 2/Dom Tyson deal saw us give up a lot given his AFL career to date. However, the trade makes some sense given the perceived strength of the draft and our likely ranking and overall rating of the draft pool.

Freo’s supporters rate Viv Michie judging by the Freo board on bigfooty. He is likely to be well worth pick 57 and should be a good pick up.

Daniel Cross still has some footy left in him if his Round 23 game is anything to go by. I think the dogs were silly not giving him another year a bit like we made the mistake with James McDonald.

I see Colin Sylvia’s exit as a loss and consider him worth circa pick 15 in this draft. The Bernie Vince exchange is a slight loss for the Dees IMO.

Detracting from my rating was the inability to get either Taylor Adams or Dylan Shiel or a player in the PSD. I would have also liked to see us go for Dustin Martin, as well as Jeb Lamb and Andrejs Everitt. It was also a bit disappointing that there wasn’t more than one gun in the draft pool given we had pick 2, although this was not the club’s fault.

Further, IMO we should have been more proactive in trading out players such as Jamar and Tapscott for list space. (In saying this, we may have tried.)

Going forward, I would like to see us pick up Chris Cain and Robin Nahas, and Matt Scharenberg would be ideal at pick 9 if he slides. Dayle Garlett should also be considered with a later pick/rookie selection.

Across the AFL the big winners of trade week IMO were:

1. Collingwood – Pick 11 for Dale Thomas is good compensation, particularly given his injury, and the Heath Shaw/Taylor Adams swap was a win. The gain of Jesse White is a good one and fills a need. The upgrade of pick 11 to 6 is also a slight advantage.

2. North – Getting Luke McDonald as a F/S in a weak draft was a bonus and Nick Dal Santo is a good pick up for no cost.

3. Fremantle – Colin Sylvia will be a great pick up in a good side.

4. WB – Picking up Stewart Crameri for middle pick is a big win and he also fills a need.

5. GWS – Picking up Shane Mumford and Jed Lamb for low cost more than offsets the slight loss of the Shaw/Adams deal. The winner of the Tyson/pick 2 deal will be unclear for a few years.

My big losers were:

1. Brisbane – They lost too many players for draft picks in a weak draft.

2. Geelong – The champions they have discarded should have been retained for one more crack at a premiership IMO.

3. Essendon – Crameri is a big loss for little return. Paul Chapman is a champion but his hamstrings were too big a risk for the Cats which says something.

4. Hawthorn – Buddy for pick 19 is a big loss.

My big unknowns are:

1. Carlton – Clearly the list looks better but one wonders if it has come at the expense of potential salary cap issues down the track. Thomas is a big risk given his recent injury history. Malthouse looks like he is topping up for a flag, but he needs to win it next year with Judd in the twilight of his career.

2. Sydney – Buddy Franklin is still a good player but the contract is excessive both in terms of length and dollar amount. They lost three AFL standard players to get him.

3. Melbourne – Largely due to the Tyson deal.

4. St Kilda – It is unfortunate timing to be bottoming out and looking to the draft given the strength of the draft pool. They did well to get Longer for such a low pick.

Yes however our second pick is #40 and we would be wildly optimistic if he slid that far. Maybe we should let him develop at another Club and then come across to us in two years time when we are ready to have a tilt at the Finals?

Hopefully Gartlett

If you're going to pull stuff out of your arse then I figure you might as well make it worth your while. Billings would be fun to watch from the get go. He'd immediately add some silk around Clark, Hogan, Dawes in the forward 50 and we could then watch him blossom into an elite mid.

would love to get billings.

would love to get billings.

Wouldn't we all?

just as an aside.. How many drafts actually go the way pundits predict, other than say first 2-3 picks which always seem a lockin ?

My big losers were:

1. Brisbane – They lost too many players for draft picks in a weak draft.

2. Geelong – The champions they have discarded should have been retained for one more crack at a premiership IMO.

3. Essendon – Crameri is a big loss for little return. Paul Chapman is a champion but his hamstrings were too big a risk for the Cats which says something.

4. Hawthorn – Buddy for pick 19 is a big loss.

So are you saying that Geelong shoudn't have got rid of Chapman so he can contribute to the flag tilt next season, but then are saying that Geelong made the right choice to get rid of him because his hamstrings are a risk?

I come to this because Pods isn't a champion, and I rate Chappy ahead of Josh Hunt. Joel Corey is the only other champion they got rid of.

I'd say Sydney are the biggest losers of the trade period, they got rid of players like Mumford and White and got pretty much nothing in return just so they could pay for Buddy which is a stupid decision, 9 million for a guy that has maybe 2 good years left in him, players like Dan Hanneberry and Luke Parker will want more money in the future and they won't have it their for them, only people they can blame is themselves.

just as an aside.. How many drafts actually go the way pundits predict, other than say first 2-3 picks which always seem a lockin ?

Only takes one unusual pick early to throw a grenade in the draft

I see Colin Sylvia’s exit as a loss and consider him worth circa pick 15 in this draft. The Bernie Vince exchange is a slight loss for the Dees IMO.

I think Colin at his best is definitely better than Vince, but he produced so rarely that i think Vince will be a win as he is far more consistent and can still have a big game here and there.

Sylvia never won a B and F..never really came near it. Bernie has..he wins hands down

Want to further compare.

Pick a number 1-10 that represents the best each could produce

then multiply it by the number of games each did

enlightening isnt it

Not sure I agree with much of bigtony's post.

I'd take Tyson over Adams in aheartbeat.

I'd take Vince over Sylvia in a heartbeat. Col's 2013 was interesting - usually 20 disposals but never any impact. Col had a few good games a year if we are honest.

Scharenberg looks good but is that the player our list needs the most? Will he be available at pick 9?

St Kilda - how many games did Longer play at Brisbane? Why do people talk like he is a proven ruck? Ever see him play in the northern?

Not sure I agree with much of bigtony's post.

What?! Are you telling me dont find his use of a different font to everyone else alluring?

Only takes one unusual pick early to throw a grenade in the draft

quite the point really isnt it

Another is invariably clubs have someone(s) in mind for a particular reason. Whether it be from testing , psych evaluations etc the clubs often have a clearer picture of who these kids are than the media etc. Except us in recent decades...of course

So are you saying that Geelong shoudn't have got rid of Chapman so he can contribute to the flag tilt next season, but then are saying that Geelong made the right choice to get rid of him because his hamstrings are a risk?

I come to this because Pods isn't a champion, and I rate Chappy ahead of Josh Hunt. Joel Corey is the only other champion they got rid of.

Geelong were a kick away from a grand final this year. IMO they should have been willing to take a risk on Chapman, Pods and Corey in the hunt another flag. I think they have lessened their chances this year for little long-term benefit.

Essendon were losers because of Crameri. IMO Chapman is worth the risk for a team in contention, which the Bombers obviously see themselves as.

What's the point in pushing for trades for Jamar and tappscott if they are given away for unders? Or little interest?

What's the point in pushing for trades for Jamar and tappscott if they are given away for unders? Or little interest?

space.....

St Kilda - how many games did Longer play at Brisbane? Why do people talk like he is a proven ruck? Ever see him play in the northern?

I think regardless, the Saints have had a fair trade period, 3 top 20 picks, out with McEvoy and Dal Santo, in with Savage, Delaney, Longer...

McEvoy apparently has the worst tap to advantage record in the AFL, and Hickey is probably their number 1 ruck, so getting Longer isn't a bad move by any stretch.

Here's my predicted top 10. My thinking is at some point over the next 10 or 20 years if I keep guessing at this kind of stuff I'll eventually get one right. When that happens I intend on offering this as proof of my incredible knowledge of underage footballers and the inner workings of all 18 AFL clubs.

1. Boyd

2. Bontempelli

3. Kelly

4. Aish

5. Kolodjashnij

6. Freeman

7. Scharenberg

8. McDonald

9. Billings

Cheers

From your mouth to god's ears.

That would definitely be a sensational (although unlikely) result. Bring it on.

We're fortunate that, even if it doesn't work out that way, we will still have a good range of players to select including at least one of the players you nominated in 1. to 7. and Christian Salem, Ben Lennon, Dom Sheed and Lewis Taylor (if our recruiters aren't put off by lack of height).

What's the point in pushing for trades for Jamar and tappscott if they are given away for unders? Or little interest?

Salary cap/list space. Jamar has a two years to run on his deal which is another Neeld blunder.

I think regardless, the Saints have had a fair trade period, 3 top 20 picks, out with McEvoy and Dal Santo, in with Savage, Delaney, Longer...

McEvoy apparently has the worst tap to advantage record in the AFL, and Hickey is probably their number 1 ruck, so getting Longer isn't a bad move by any stretch.

We cant really qualify the Saints until we see who they pick..and how they go over say 3-5 years.. Much the same for many a team and this is where this adjudication by the 'dress circle' becomes nonsense. Much is mocked in discussing hindsight but its really only this that can revisit this trade period and give any meaningful assessments.

All else is something akin to speculation.

About the only real question that can be answered to any great degree would be that of the clubs .." are you reasonably pleased with how youre now positioned" Reality is that few will answer with genuine regard to "what is"..most will lean towards "what might be "