Wright can kick!

And he can kick it a mile too!

Petracca on himself: “I’m able to play multiple positions and it might sound arrogant but I sort of do have a bit of X-Factor, I can kick those clutch goals.”

Hah, come on mate... you're just an 18 year old prospect like everyone else. Let's leave it for others to say you have some X-Factor.

Wright is a lovely kick from what I've seen.

McCartin is probably more aggressive by nature, but I think Wright has some plusses too.

Either way, it's likely we'll pick up two blokes who are very highly rated.

Even down to including picks 40 and 53 it's not who you draft but how they develop.

lets B sure to take the loveliest ones first then, if they can't play, at least they can look lovely trying. Tis just a pity we couldn't get them to wear Ties out there whilst playing. would just set them off with a bit more class.

be sure to shine your boots boys.

As I said we wont be. My info to date re: Danger - we went hard but couldn't land him! Shiel - we had a go and ditto. Just because things don't happen doesn't mean we weren't in there punching!

I reckon both those will move next year, IMO they're desired clubs will have the methods to get them over.

I think Danger will be either a cat or a pie.

I suspect Shiel will end up a Hawk? at this point.

If Hawthorn can continue to pick up a developing midfielder and key position player every year, they'll essentially never fall down the ladder.

The age spread of their list has been flawlessly managed.

Petracca on himself: “I’m able to play multiple positions and it might sound arrogant but I sort of do have a bit of X-Factor, I can kick those clutch goals.”

Hah, come on mate... you're just an 18 year old prospect like everyone else. Let's leave it for others to say you have some X-Factor.

Ah the arrogance of youth. Cut him some slack. he's only 18 and aggression and cockiness go together. Makes me more interested in him. Rough edges can be dealt with later,

With GWS reportedly offering 4 and 7 to St.Kilda for 1 (and 21?) and the Saints turning it down, it's pretty clear they don't rate the top 4 players equally.

I've never seen Wright play but the little I've read about him worries me. Ruckmen (or Ruckmen/Forwards) have to go hard. Spencer does - that's his main attribute.

Great KPFs come in the top 5 of the draft (or F/S), but that doesn't mean all KPFs taken in the top 5 are great.

Midfield remains our big weakness so if the Saints go for McCartin we could get two highly rated mids which would be great.

I know we've all been burned by our drafting failures over the years, but it's an almost entirely new team in that area now, there's hope.

And it's pretty likely we'll have a very early pick again next year.

Petracca will go to Saints

That leaves us to pick Brayshaw and some other utility mid type ( Id have thought...but )

Who knows to be honest. We were right into Lever. Maybe theh FD is looking to snare a good mid next FA

Ill leave it to the club, they seem to have a handle on things these day

Funny the Saints feigning interest in Brayshaw, they would be murdered by their supporters to pass on Petracca.

From our point of view it doesn't matter we will get 2 good players whatever they do.

I think from a strategy perspective we would want two midfielders, unless there is a generational KPP available.

Recent premiership sides have shown that you don't need two gun key forwards - of course it would be nice to have, but you don't 'need' them to win a flag. One gun key forward together with a couple of solid assistant tall forwards has been enough to get the job done - other than Hawthorn in 2013 no recent premier has had two gun key fowards.

However, these sides have shown that you need a batch of gun midfielders to win a flag. I can't recall a recent premier without a batch of gun midfielders.

Given where our list is at - we have Hogan (who we hope to be the gun key forward) and an improved but still ordinary midfield - to me it's just a no-brainer to select the best midfielders with picks 2 and 3. Yes, there are always exceptions, and in this case if a generational KPP was available (such as a Riewoldt, Franklin, Roughead, etc.) then you would definitely take them. But if not, and if there isn't all that much difference between say Wright / McCartin and the next best midfielder, then I would prefer to go for the midfielder.

MY MAIL:

Just spoke to my connection down at the Falcons. He said that if Petracca goes pick 1, we must take Mcartin. Said the kid is an absolute brute, who plays aggressively and can mark, kick, tackle, out body and the rest. Makes me think of what could be with a combination of Hogan and Mcartin down there for the next 10 years. Also said he is a monster that would be ready to go round 1.
Said he played bottom age last year, and made the All-Australian side, and also actually broke Dom Sheeds collar bone in one of the matches.
Downside is that he has diabetes, and has sometimes had to run off the field to check his levels but is making good progress in learning how to manage this.
Anyways just what i got told. For me, if Petracca goes #1 like he is expected to, MCartin and Brayshaw would be my wishes.

MY MAIL:

Just spoke to my connection down at the Falcons. He said that if Petracca goes pick 1, we must take Mcartin. Said the kid is an absolute brute, who plays aggressively and can mark, kick, tackle, out body and the rest. Makes me think of what could be with a combination of Hogan and Mcartin down there for the next 10 years. Also said he is a monster that would be ready to go round 1.

Said he played bottom age last year, and made the All-Australian side, and also actually broke Dom Sheeds collar bone in one of the matches.

Downside is that he has diabetes, and has sometimes had to run off the field to check his levels but is making good progress in learning how to manage this.

Anyways just what i got told. For me, if Petracca goes #1 like he is expected to, MCartin and Brayshaw would be my wishes.

fitzy has diabetes as well. My understanding is it can be managed quite easily

If Hawthorn can continue to pick up a developing midfielder and key position player every year, they'll essentially never fall down the ladder.

The age spread of their list has been flawlessly managed.

There are midfielders and then there are the likes of Luke Hodge who are just a rare bread, on field coach/leader, demands success and leads from the front. Roughie and Lewis are also cut from the same cloth all very hard to replace

Sammy Mitchells vision, Burgoyne poise skill, ability in traffic.

It aint that easy

More concerned about feet than diabetes.

There are midfielders and then there are the likes of Luke Hodge who are just a rare bread, on field coach/leader, demands success and leads from the front. Roughie and Lewis are also cut from the same cloth all very hard to replace

Sammy Mitchells vision, Burgoyne poise skill, ability in traffic.

It aint that easy

Exactly 'Pennant', it's not that easy to replace champions and Geelong are just starting to find this out now...

I prefer not to know anything about the players in the draft until we pick them so I don't get disappointed about who we should have picked.

Ignorance is bliss.

McCartin looks like a spud, sorry, just my view. Take the two best mids available please.

fitzy has diabetes as well. My understanding is it can be managed quite easily

He may well be a brute.

But from what I've heard, read and seen, he's not unbelievably skilled as a forward.

His goal kicking is pretty woeful if you ask me and he seems to lack speed and agility.

He's an old school forward in my eyes, and even if he is rated highly by 'experts', he's not someone the MFC need at the minute and he's definitely not a once in a generation type forward.

We need midfielders. Brayshaw, Petracca, Lever or Laverde before someone like McCartin.

To me McCartin seems to have a bit too much 'puppy fat'.

Make no mistake macartin is no spud. There is a reason he has been rated as the number 1 draft pick for such along time. Geelong falcons is a great breeding ground for talent and he is rated right up the top. We would be silly to pass on a hogan macartin combo. KPF are rare and worth a lot our spine will be set with this pickup. Then we look to the middle with brayshaw

Brayshaw & McCartin. We move on.

It will be Brayshaw (assuming Saints take Petracca) and Lever. Both guns also

Just went through some of the highlights of potential draftees. My view of it.

Wright - Could be anything, but too much of a risk. Most of the highlights were him tapping. That being said, 200cm+ players with his mobility are bloody hard to find.

Petracca - Big body, shrugs tackles, good peripheral vision. Has that bit of "X" factor and dash. Looks like the kind that can break a game open.

Brayshaw - Love him. Good size. The kind of player that fans fall in love with. Nothing "flash", just gets in, does the work and does it well.

McCartin - Looks natural. Knows when to lead. Looks to have the smarts.

Lever - Wow. Very impressed by him. Athletic as anything. Plays taller than I expected.

My ranking of the 5 assuming all were available. Petracca, Lever, Brayshaw, McCartin, Wright.

Side note, also watched Billy Stretch highlights. Bloody impressed by him. Reminds me of a mix between Wingard/Wanganeen. Elusive, quick, strong. Struggles to get tackled. Very happy getting him with a 3rd rounder!

Lever is a KPD at u/18 level, but probably only big enough for a 3rd tall in the AFL. He's not a midfielder so not sure why people are saying to take him as one. McCartin is the one for mine. His video on you tube isn't impressive, but there's a reason he's long been touted as a #1 pick.

Lever looks like he could be more of a 'prototype' midfielder than a key back. His highlights were pretty impressive, dare I say it, some Fyfe-like moments. Clearly, a one minute video isn't nearly enough for me to have an informed opinion but that never stops me at this time of year.