On 19/10/2014 at 09:42, Al said:

Who are our three top shelf mids?

shhhhh

Hawkins and Tex are free agents next year. I say draft mids and go hard at those 2. We obviously have a huge warchest if we were going for Danger.

I think too many people on here myself included have had a tendency to overrate our list.

  On 19/10/2014 at 09:34, Earl Hood said:

While Roosey says there is a risk taking the big boys early so better to go with hard ball getting mids, there is also apparently another stat that says none of the leagues gun power forwards have ever come from outside the top 15 in the AFL draft except for F/S. I heard that one from Scott Lucas on SEN.

Now Darling may be an exception but we all know he should have gone top 10 but for some good scaremongering. But your Buddies, Roughies all came early, not sure of the others in this stat. Jackovich was a number 6. Lucas and Lloyd must have been early picks?

However if true it says maybe you take a punt with McCartin and hope you have found another gun forward to compliment Hogan. Especially if the word on him his true that he is super agressive as a forward. I like that as it compliments Hogan who thrives on physical contact. That would be an interesting forward line I think. I would be happy if we went McCartin, Brayshaw. If Petracca was available I suppose you would take him. But then the dilemma. Petracca and Brayshaw could be a game changer for us.

Lloyd wasn't an early pick persay, he was a compensation selection to the Bombers for losing a player to Fremantle

  On 19/10/2014 at 09:50, Al said:

I think too many people on here myself included have had a tendency to overrate our list.

I myself overrate.

  On 19/10/2014 at 09:52, Bitter but optimistic said:

I myself overrate.

beef or chicken?

  On 19/10/2014 at 09:52, Demoneyes said:

Lloyd wasn't an early pick persay, he was a compensation selection to the Bombers for losing a player to Fremantle

True but I guess Lucas is saying he was a priority pick? Dodgy stat perhaps that he had thrown up given the small population of data. Power forwards picked post national draft, who were not priorities, not Father Sons, not Darling types etc, etc. who is Lucas actually talking about now that I look at it? Josh Kennedy WCE, Buddy, Roughy, who else?

  On 19/10/2014 at 09:33, binman said:

Out of interest, of the top of your head who was the last top 3 draft pick who was/is a KPP and has performed at the level you'd hope for from a top 3 pick (ie a total gun).

Jack Watts. Closely followed by Riewoldt, Buddy and Roughy. Though not all were top 3 binman.

  On 19/10/2014 at 08:47, Roger Mellie said:

Isn't Lever a tall?

Why is he part of the equation if Roos doesn't want to draft top end talls?

I hear people say he could be the next Bontimpelli but he could also be the next Cale Morton (who also carved it up in his highlights package).

Lever is also listed (and supposedly best suited) as a key defender. Didn't we just trade for one of those?

I have no problem with drafting Lever but I'm not sure he fits the bill (or Roos' rule for drafting talls).

192, wouldn't call him a tall

'Best Available' is not a black and white rule either.

We, and the coach, always talk about how this draft is a lottery and, to a great extent, you don't know how these 18 year olds will be as footy players when they are 22. This is my major concern about getting a tall with ND3 - unless he is a talent so superior as to be well above the other mids - you just can't tell how they will fill out, play against men, and find the footy.

This is true for mids as well, but the degree of extrapolation is larger with talls.

I want two mids because it is what we need and because we are more likely to pick up the second and third talents if we look for mids as opposed to talls.

  On 19/10/2014 at 09:52, Demoneyes said:

Lloyd wasn't an early pick persay, he was a compensation selection to the Bombers for losing a player to Fremantle

Compensation for Todd Ridley. Sheedy probably packed Ridley's bag and drove him to the airport himself.

Geez Freo gave out some free hits to teams early doors.

The other thing about taking McCartin at 3 is that big forwards have currency to be traded in years to come, mids seem to be less so...

I like Stretch as a prospect, but people saying he'll help our midfield next year are delusional, unless we have several injuries he & the likes of Barry will be doing bloody well to play a half dozen senior games. Further, whether it's a tall or a midfielder we take with picks 2 & 3, Roos has made it quite clear he won't throw them to the wolves. Petracca, Heeney & Brayshaw look the most ready to play senior footy next year, beyond that they are all works in progress, even McCartin who needs to get his skin folds well down & learn how to deal with afl style defenses that won't just allow him constant 1 on 1's or allow him to just play to his strengths like they did in the juniors (if he is even as good as advertised which I don't agree he is). As for Wright, Roos as also made it sound pretty clear there are reasons we won't even consider him.

I believe we will simply draft the 2 best available talents as judged by out footy dep, regardless of position, as we need blokes who will develop into genuine guns with top end talent. From what little info I've heard & got that mean 2 of Petracca/Brayshaw/Lever. I don't buy that BS article from WA about pumping Pickett's tyres up as a potential top 3 pick, but I do think that both Lever & Pickett will be on GWS radar as havig those 3 high picks and given the amount of talent already stockpiled means they can take bigger gambles on who's going to become guns a year or 2 down the line. I have also heard the Pies are interested in Lever at pick 5 after they fell in love with Bontempelli last year and they still want another potential gun BIG mid prospect. Those 3 in Petracca, Brayshaw & Lever are simply footballers, anywhere on the ground, natural talents who (injuries aside) look like they'll really impact a game of footy as they develop further.

  On 19/10/2014 at 11:46, thedeeman said:

192, wouldn't call him a tall

Apparently is now 194, actually taller than McCartin.

  On 19/10/2014 at 11:46, thedeeman said:

192, wouldn't call him a tall

Most recent measurements from Combine had him at 194cm buddy, 192cm keeps being said by media outlets who are too lazy to update their data, he was 192cm as a bottom ager last year.

Already seen as a likely top-end pick, Lever’s professionalism towards his knee at such a young age already suggest he may have significant leadership potential in the coming seasons.

His junior years suggest the same.

Not many players captain their side at the Under-18 National Championship, so it stands as even more impressive that Lever did so despite being an underager in 2013.

Even with his 2014 playing year ruined by the injury, Lever has been involved with the coaching at the Calder Cannons.

“I did do some coaching, I helped out the midfield,” he told Morning Glory.

“Obviously I’m a tall key defender and just wanted to try something different and help coach in the midfield.”

At 194cm, Lever is a genuine key defender height, though he is a very good user of the ball and rebounder out of the backline, giving him some flexibility in what his role may be at AFL level.

A highly-competitive player with an impressive game nous, he plays similarly to Hawthorn defender Josh Gibson, though he has an extra five centimetres on the Peter Crimmins Medal winner.

Despite a devastating injury, Lever may just be one of the feel-good stories to eventuate from this draft.

He may also be one of the few, if only, players to have impressed without even playing a game.

  On 18/10/2014 at 05:38, why you little said:

Is he ready to play Round one 2015?

This is so overdone - "ready to go".

Look how many players are "ready to go" from each draft.

Before you start hitting with me names look at it in totality - the percentage of players who are drafted and make a big impact year one is small as it should be.

We should not be looking to our draftees to be the saviors next year - we need the likes of Toumpas to step now coming into year 3 - plus major improvements from Watts, Howe and the like. Steps from JKH and Salem in year two and hopefully some input from Hogan even though he has yet play a game.

Thanks for the update Redleg.

In my opinion footy is about talent, timing and luck. As we've learnt from Trengove and Clark, not having luck (i.e. succumbing to career-threatening injuries) can be devastating. Lever sounds like a fantastic bloke; underage captain, helping out with coaching while recovering, and dealing with injuries at an early age. Reminds me of a young No 1 draft pick we lost to GWS. When we consider some of the issues we've so far faced trying to get another No 1 pick on the field (i.e. Hogan's back and knee), I'd be very reluctant to go near a young player that has already missed a year to injury.

  On 19/10/2014 at 09:42, Al said:

Who are our three top shelf mids?

I'd say Jones (who is A grade), Tyson and Vince (both top shelf but not quite A grade).

I dont really care about leadership....its all very over rated and such in so far as being THE reason to draft anyone Is fine but my 1st and only criteria is can the bloke play footy. I dont give a fig about how they manage this or that. CAN THEY PLAY FOOTY ??

That hes managed his injury well is good. Rather he wasn't injured...have a few of them.

From what I gather Lever is behind McCartin in straight talent. Lever is a backman who might end up in the midfield but at 194 that is becoming less likely. Sounds like there is a clear top 3 this year and then a drop off to Wright who has an element of risk but could end up being the best and then daylight to pick 5. I think we'll go the best available at 2 & 3. So whoever is left after either McCartin or Petracca go at 1. Whoever is left out of those three will be best available at those picks and incidentally will fill a desperately required position.

I think its pretty straight forward.

with pick 2 we take petrecca or mccartin- who ever saints don't choose.

With pick 3 we take brayshaw.

If we are able to get Petrecca with 2 - then we can also opt to take Wright with pick 3 - depending if we only want mids.

Ideally we take petrecca and mcartin, but i can't see that happening.

shame isaac Heeney goes to sydney for pick 18 or whatever it is.
absolutely ridiculous.

Ranked in the top four, but swans, on top half of the ladder for the better part of a decade - can take him at the end of the first round - just because.

frustrating.

2015

Prefer Reece McKenzie