Knightmare has now completed the final update of his phantom draft. For those who don't know him, he's usually pretty spot-on.

1. McCartin

2. Petracca

3. Brayshaw

19.Lever

I have this strange feeling that we wont take Petracca. As much as that is what I would do if we dont I will not rant and rave as I suspect most will do here. I believe the people we have in charge who have watched immense hours of live footage, interviewed candidates countless times, poured over test results and know where our list, culture and style needs to head know better than me. I suspect though if we did pass on him the whole internet will break from the fury on demonland.

I have this strange feeling that we wont take Petracca. As much as that is what I would do if we dont I will not rant and rave as I suspect most will do here. I believe the people we have in charge who have watched immense hours of live footage, interviewed candidates countless times, poured over test results and know where our list, culture and style needs to head know better than me. I suspect though if we did pass on him the whole internet will break from the fury on demonland.

I'm extremely nervous. If I had a guarantee that our two picks would come from Brayshaw, Petracca, McCartin, I'd take that right now and wouldn't mind which two, I rate them equally.

I'm praying that we don't reach on someone, but I'm preparing myself, because I'm a Melbourne supporter, and that's what we do.

I especially hope that we don't reach on Lever - Only my opinion obviously, (I do spend a lot of time researching the draft, that's another story) but I'd probably have 7-8 guys ahead of Lever.

24 hours ago if you'd asked Melbourne supporters who they would choose between Petracca and Brayshaw most would say Brayshaw. 24 hours ago if you'd asked St Kilda supporters who they would choose between Petracca and Brayshaw most would say Petracca. 24 hours on with some quality twitter-driven rumours and Petracca is now viewed by Saints fans as the anti-Christ. It's a coping mechanism. October/November is a weird time. We wed ourselves to players, convincing ourselves that we're getting the right player regardless of where others rate them. We know so very very little.

Just read that and so can you The Phantom Draft

Seriously, after reading that write-up, there's no wonder the general football public expect these young blokes to enter the AFL system and dominate from the get-go.

It's really just sensationalist dribble that only heaps the pressure on these kids.

On a side note, the Saints board on BF is absolute gold. As one poster put it "Petracca has gone from alpha dog superstar to ego maniac injury bust in the space of 48 hours".

excellent... petracca has a chip on his shoulder about people bagging Neeld from his time at eastern ranges. Lets give him a bigger one about saints.

rumours going around that we wont pick him on facebook. No idea if its true.

I hear we aint into Wright.

Who would have picked Martin over Scully or Trengove? I think there are a few of us here on Demonland.

half the recruiters claim they wpuld have taken martin over those two now.

Saints have an ok recent draft record. My gut thinks mcmartin wpuld be beter for them than petracca.

I have already taken it as gold (the rumour that the Saints may now pick up McCartin), and my revised team for Round 1 (when we don't have Dawes) will be:

FB: Jetta Frost Dunn

HB: Garland McDonald Lumumba

C: Vince Cross Watts

HF: Howe Hogan Petracca
FF: Garlett Gawn Kent

Foll: Jamar Tyson Jones

Int: Brayshaw Viney Toumpas

S: Salem

E: Pederson, Bail, JKH/Grimes

Brayshaw/De Goey.

it's also affected by who drafts them

still have to wonder where Morton would be if the Eagles had got him 5 years earlier

Rehab.

DL at the time I didn't think you could go past Scully as the dedicated, professional accumulating midfielder. But I did think Trengove was more of the same and thought Martin worth a punt because he reportedly had some mongrel and speed. Oh well as we know that didn't happen and Martin is high maintenance!

I went to study Trengove, as scully was considered the number one, watched Trenners in a few games & scully in a couple, wasn't overwhelmed by scully. Thought Trenners was a leader & a driver.

happy with trenners at one but didn't really get the over the top with scully, tried to see it but thought he was vanilla, a maniac but vanilla. just a workaholic. but didn't see the talent. as he is now it seems, he's a footballer but mainly an athlete.

Trenners is mainly footballer, but an injured one.

Didn't see much of Martin, as I was focused on Trenners & other positional types for Rnd 2 etc. but an old spotter recruiter acquaintance liked the tougher unfashionable Mids, D Martin, B Cunnington, etc, over the West-Australian guns. I wasn't accustomed to watching the juniors U-18's. it was a new challenge. And I needed binoculars to get used to for the first time. not an easy adjustment.

now we see the athletes as passe, as the games gone contested footy. athletes once again struggle in the hurly-burly,

Lets restrict the rotations further to bring back the Pluggers & the Diesel Williams, the Daicos's, & the SoS's.

I'm extremely nervous.

I'm praying that we don't reach on someone, but I'm preparing myself, because I'm a Melbourne supporter, and that's what we do

.

What exactly is a "reach"?

The irony of that view is that the Eagles passed on Morton with the pick before ours...

That's what I meant. Masten was working in the Eagles store at the time and I believe his dad was somehow involved with the club.. some 'experts' reckoned Morton could have gone at #1.. they couldn't have been far away from calling out his name

Playing in the WAFL

We'll never know

What we do know is that since 2007 we have had picks 1,1,2,3,4,4 and 5 and so far we are 0-7 in terms of developing a star player. 4 of those 7 aren't even at the club anymore and another may not even play footy again.

We do have Tyson and Hogan though, through trading high picks.

To think after this draft the total will be ELEVEN players of top-5 quality drafted in 7 years. We should have one hell of a side.. and we don't.

PS add Viney, who under normal circumstances would probably also have gone top 5 or so.

Edited November 25, 201410 yr by Curry & Beer

Opinions are like a*holes. everyone has one

and most of them stink

Knowing our luck we will probably pass on petracca.

Its how we roll.

More likely that whoever we take at 2 and 3, the bloke that goes at pick 4 will be the cream of the crop

24 hours on with some quality twitter-driven rumours and Petracca is now viewed by Saints fans as the anit-Christ.

Sorry, I missed this, what are these rumours you speak of?

I have this strange feeling that we wont take Petracca. As much as that is what I would do if we dont I will not rant and rave as I suspect most will do here. I believe the people we have in charge who have watched immense hours of live footage, interviewed candidates countless times, poured over test results and know where our list, culture and style needs to head know better than me. I suspect though if we did pass on him the whole internet will break from the fury on demonland.

Why wouldnt we take Petracca? What's the basis ? Will Roos believe the assesments of the last 48 hours?

excellent... petracca has a chip on his shoulder about people bagging Neeld from his time at eastern ranges. Lets give him a bigger one about saints.

rumours going around that we wont pick him on facebook. No idea if its true.

I hear we aint into Wright.

According to Demoneyes a few pages back there is some 'dispute' between our coaching and recruiting staffs as to who we take at pick 3. From Demoneyes' other posts Lever seemed to be the go at 3 as the coaches pick. I'm guessing that the recruiters want Petracca or McCartin. We will see tomorrow night which group 'won' the pick 3 battle.

Whoever we take I hope it is who the recruiters want.

Edited November 25, 201410 yr by Lucifer's Hero

According to Demoneyes a few pages back there is some 'dispute' between our coaching and recruiting staffs as to who we take at pick 3. From Demoneyes' other posts Lever seemed to be the go at 3 as the coaches pick. I'm guessing that the recruiters want Petracca or McCartin. We will see tomorrow night which group 'won' the pick 3 battle.

Whoever we take I hope it is who the recruiters want.

Your first mistake was listening to Demoneyes.

On a side note, the Saints board on BF is absolute gold. As one poster put it "Petracca has gone from alpha dog superstar to ego maniac injury bust in the space of 48 hours".

Hmmmm, Joel Selwood to me seems like one of the most arrogant and ego driven players to take the field, but I would love for him to play for us.

Can't see their logic.

Hmmmm, Joel Selwood to me seems like one of the most arrogant and ego driven players to take the field, but I would love for him to play for us.

Can't see their logic.

Frawley - beginning of 2014 - handy footballer, best backman at the club, holds up our defence.

Frawley - end 2014 - horrible butcherer of the ball with no decision making ability whatsoever and no heart.

Seeing the logic now ?

That's what I meant. Masten was working in the Eagles store at the time and I believe his dad was somehow involved with the club.. some 'experts' reckoned Morton could have gone at #1.. they couldn't have been far away from calling out his name

Well, in the argument of Drafting vs Development the team you chose as a team that develops well chose not to select the kid we did select.

So I guess the answer is - did the Eagles overlook a player they didn't think was worthy of a high selection? Or did we not develop him to his full potential?

I think it's both. But I really don't think Morton had a much of a future in the AFL even if he went to a club that develops well.

The fact is, he went to the Eagles as a mature player and person and he still failed, I think that lends itself to the verdict that we drafted poorly with that selection.

I'm finding this over-analysis of the draft a bit bizarre. To say an 18 year old holds a grudge about Neelds treatment seems unlikely as does a rift between the coaches and recruiters.

I for one am happy to see what unfolds as I have confidence that our decision makers are much better than we have ever had.