4 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

Harden just won the MVP.  The bloke can't be that bad.

And you're assuming Gaff is poor defensively.  Got any hard evidence to back it up, or just running with it to suit your opinion?

lol. you clearly have no clue re: harden. he literally has compilation videos on his poor defence. 

proof on gaff? ask any west coast fan. they didnt think he was best 22 last year after some of his efforts. i also had him in my fantasy team so i watched him like a hawk and he was extremely poor defensively.

8 minutes ago, Wunders said:

Apparently we have a candidate this year we get first crack at. Toby Bedford, a small forward. This is what was said after his game recently (https://www.afldraftcentral.com.au/tag/toby-bedford/?

#3 Toby Bedford (Dandenong Stingrays)

Starting the game inside 50 as a small forward, Bedford showed some fancy footwork on occasions but struggled to get into the game in the first half. Although late in the third quarter he was moved up the ground to the stoppages and created a real spark. He won a couple of hard balls in traffic and released each to advantage, before his defensive efforts were rewarded with a holding the ball free kick. He broke from a centre bounce in the final term and almost set up a goal with a long kick inside 50.

AFL link to where it links him to us:

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-06-27/u18-the-fatherson-candidates-linked-to-your-club

he has a rat tail. yikes!

2 minutes ago, Dr.D said:

lol. you clearly have no clue re: harden. he literally has compilation videos on his poor defence. 

proof on gaff? ask any west coast fan. they didnt think he was best 22 last year after some of his efforts. i also had him in my fantasy team so i watched him like a hawk and he was extremely poor defensively.

I have plenty of clue on Harden, and you totally missed my point.

Gaff may not be great defensively, but he's super offensively.  Where did we struggle on the weekend?  Gaff would have made a difference going forward.  He's worth it.  

The fact you don't rate him makes me even more comfortable with us potentially chasing him.  

Gaff and players like him are exactly what we need.

5 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

I have plenty of clue on Harden, and you totally missed my point.

Gaff may not be great defensively, but he's super offensively.  Where did we struggle on the weekend?  Gaff would have made a difference going forward.  He's worth it.  

The fact you don't rate him makes me even more comfortable with us potentially chasing him.  

the losses against hawks, rich and collingwood were due to our midfielders inability to work both ways. gaff is the worst of that lot. At the end of the day his efforts last year were close to putting him in the wafl. he is much improved this year but i haven't noticed any changes defensively.

Now that the trade period is done and  we have picks 23 & 28 this thread should be more interesting.

Having a look at the top 30 phantom drafts, there seems to be a few big-bodied mids that may be available in the 20's which could be a good pick-up now Tyson is gone.

Here are some I think are possibilities at these picks:

- Sam Sturt - rangey half-forward

- Luke Valente - reliable mid. Good on both sides.

- Ed McHenry - hard-running small forward

- Xavier Duursma - mid/half-back who is a smooth mover.

- Ely Smith - big-bodied bullocking midfielder.

- Xavier O'Halloran - outstanding athlete who tested well at the combine.

And of course I can't leave out academy prospect Toby Bedford who we will hopefully take with pick 54 and looks like a lively small forward.

I reckon we take Ed McHenry. Awesome two way running, won the yo-yo test. Great endurance and a small forward. Would compliment Spargo as a mosquito fleet. Ideal replacement for Kent and Garlett nearing end of his career. 

I'm a big fan of O'Halloran. It takes a lot to be a captain of a rep side and he did it well. Has speed and great kicking skills. He should be around the early 20's mark so here is hoping. 

I reckon we mostly pick players that barely anybody in this thread mentions. Most posters moan about the picks on draft night.

Fast forward a couple of years and the majority of our picks turn out to be great players while almost all of the ones that the masses on here wanted based on phantom drafts and a brief highlight reel end up flopping. 

Rinse and repeat.

 How many picks are we now taking to the draft given the space on our list?

36 on list now.

Maybe grab a delisted free agent (Mav Weller?) 

Picks 23,28, 54,62,91. I think we will use all 5.

#23,#28  - any of Xavier O’Halloran, Ely Smith, Xavier Duursma, Tom McKenzie or Sydney Stack  

#54 likely on Toby Bedford  

# 62 on Vfl mature type likely Marty Hore, Jay Lockhart or Corey Wagner

#91 is a complete punt  

 Keilty will be a rookie upgrade.

Gives us 2 rookie spots to fill on needs. Tall forward for depth in case of Weideman or Tmcd going down. 

Fact. 12 off the top 40 picks are Victorian  based teams. 28 picks are for the interstate teams. A lot of very nervous Victorian kids and parents at the draft. Dees two picks at 23 and 28 offers them hope. 

I know that we were into Duursma last year as an underaged player and he's projected to go around the 20's. 

I watched some of him last year, he's very untapped. But has some special talent.

Wouldn't be surprised if we got him. 

Any electrifying small forwards up for grabs in the 20's?

12 minutes ago, stevethemanjordan said:

I know that we were into Duursma last year as an underaged player and he's projected to go around the 20's. 

I watched some of him last year, he's very untapped. But has some special talent.

Wouldn't be surprised if we got him. 

How's his kicking?

Is he Jamie’s boy?

2 hours ago, binman said:

How's his kicking?

Definitely not elite. 

He is a neat kick generally. His awareness is very good, it's his execution that let's him down at times. 

 

15 hours ago, juzzk1d said:

I reckon we take Ed McHenry. Awesome two way running, won the yo-yo test. Great endurance and a small forward. Would compliment Spargo as a mosquito fleet. Ideal replacement for Kent and Garlett nearing end of his career. 

I have had a lot to do with Ned down here in Geelong...I teach him and he's been in our footy programme.

Simlarities to Jack Higgins in personality. A running machine. 

A good kid at heart. Hoping he gets picked up. All the best to him

4 hours ago, grazman said:

Is he Jamie’s boy?

Nephew. Dean is his father.

I have never seen so many Xavier's since Xavier Tanner.

2 hours ago, stevethemanjordan said:

Definitely not elite. 

He is a neat kick generally. His awareness is very good, it's his execution that let's him down at times. 

 

That's certainly not in his favour in terms of interest from the dees. We really need to get some better kicks into the team, in particular wings and outside player who deliver the ball inside 50. 

Surely this draft period they will focus on skillful players with better than average kicking skills, albeit ones with the required desire for the contest. Of course they don't grow on trees. Fritter is the template. 

19 minutes ago, durango said:

I have never seen so many Xavier's since Xavier Tanner.

Ex North Melb wore #25 for us from memory

Edited October 18, 20186 yr by grazman

I forgot Xavier Ellis

On ‎10‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 12:23 AM, spirit of norm smith said:

36 on list now.

Maybe grab a delisted free agent (Mav Weller?) 

Picks 23,28, 54,62,91. I think we will use all 5.

#23,#28  - any of Xavier O’Halloran, Ely Smith, Xavier Duursma, Tom McKenzie or Sydney Stack  

#54 likely on Toby Bedford  

# 62 on Vfl mature type likely Marty Hore, Jay Lockhart or Corey Wagner

#91 is a complete punt  

 Keilty will be a rookie upgrade.

Gives us 2 rookie spots to fill on needs. Tall forward for depth in case of Weideman or Tmcd going down. 

I think we will upgrade 2 players and it won't be Keilty it will be the 2 players that have played senior football in Maynard and T.Smith.

I think we will use the national draft on under 18 talent except for possibly 91 I hope we go for Hind who has pace to burn.

The rookie draft will be state league players hopefully Hore, Lockhart and C.Wagner

Well ... it’s now less than a week away.

The experts at aflnation.com.au (Callum Twomey and Kevin Sheehan) are predicting this outcome for the first round.

1. Sam Walsh (Carlton)
2. Jack Lukosius (GC)
3. Izak Rankine (GC)
4. Max King (STK)
5. Ben King (PA)
6. Connor Rozee (GC)
7. Nick Blakey (SYD) bid
8. Bailey Smith (WB)
9. Jackson Hately (ADE)
10. Jye Caldwell (GWS)
11. Jordan Clark (PA)
12. Isaac Quaynor (COLL) bid
13. Zak Butters (GWS)
14. Chayce Jones (GEEL)
15. Tarryn Thomas (NM) bid
16. Riley Collier-Dawkins (ADE)
17. Ian Hill (FRE)
18. Xavier Duursma (PA)
19. Luke Valente (ADE)
20. Liam Stocker (RIC)
21. Curtis Taylor (BL)
22. Sam Sturt (GWS)
23. Rhylee West (WB) bid
24. Tom Joyce (WCE)

That leaves Melbourne with the third pick on the second day - next Friday.