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eth-dog's 2021 Phantom

The Great Pretender
The Great Pretender
in Melbourne Demons

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Well picked up Rumpole and Chelly on your knowledge of Richmond’s list and ruck stocks. I think I might check out the other clubs in line to select a long term project ruckman in this draft.

I’m always prepared to stand corrected but my position with respect to Andrew remains unchanged. On what he’s shown to the public in his eight matches played in 2021, he’s a mid 20s draft selection. I will strongly question the competence/sanity of any recruiter who picks him in the top 10 and moreover, I question all this hype surrounding him. I see one commentator has questioned whether the noise surrounding the favourite for number 1, Jason Horne-Francis is good for him. At least he’ll be playing AFL in an early round in 2022 and not in 2 or 3 years time which is the expectation with Andrew. The pressure of something like that will be similar to that experienced by Jack Watts when he went #1. Hopefully, he lands at a good club.

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      On 23/10/2021 at 06:43, Whispering_Jack said:

    Well picked up Rumpole and Chelly on your knowledge of Richmond’s list and ruck stocks. I think I might check out the other clubs in line to select a long term project ruckman in this draft.

    I’m always prepared to stand corrected but my position with respect to Andrew remains unchanged. On what he’s shown to the public in his eight matches played in 2021, he’s a mid 20s draft selection. I will strongly question the competence/sanity of any recruiter who picks him in the top 10 and moreover, I question all this hype surrounding him. I see one commentator has questioned whether the noise surrounding the favourite for number 1, Jason Horne-Francis is good for him. At least he’ll be playing AFL in an early round in 2022 and not in 2 or 3 years time which is the expectation with Andrew. The pressure of something like that will be similar to that experienced by Jack Watts when he went #1. Hopefully, he lands at a good club.

    While I pretty much agree with your comments on Mac Andrew, it seems a fait accompli for him to be drafted in the top 15 and out of our reach.

    While he has some outstanding physical traits and decent skills for a big man, there must be a massive amount of projection of his potential for clubs to be willing to part with a first rounder for him.

    From what I've seen of him, his game sense/running patterns aren't at a high level. Certainly not as coveted as Luke Jackson was which was highlighted by our recruiters in the draft video of the to hell and back documentary series. Let's also not forget that Luke Jackson was widely seen as a mid teens pick by the draft "experts." These same experts are now stating Mac is a top 10 pick on less than half the exposed game time and inferior stats to Luke in every category. Macs potential impact in front of goal I believe is also overstated having only kicked to 2 goals in 6 NAB league games. He also finished 13th in the stingrays best and fairest. 

    To my eyes, Mac Andrew is impressive when the ball is put on his head and he can out stretch his opponents. When around the ball in the ruck he is also impressive at out leaping his counterpart and also following up with repeated efforts at ground level where he also has great skills for a man of his size. Perhaps the impact on the game that Luke has had has put a premium on talented mobile big men with these traits and is what is pushing him up the board. It will take Mac alot longer to get their in my view, if it all.

     

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    I’m not ruling Brisbane out of the equation but the Lions drafted 204cm Kalin Lane in this year’s mid-season rookie draft. They also drafted 206cm Henry Smith in last year’s National Draft. With list sizes numbering just above 40, can you afford to have more than two developing ruck prospects?

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    You only need one club to nominate him in the top 20 to secure him away from Melbourne and the only club that I’ve seen being specifically mentioned with Andrew is GWS by Matt Rendell when he said he was hearing that the Giants were going to use their first pick (#2) to draft him. They also have pick 13.

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      On 23/10/2021 at 22:26, Whispering_Jack said:

    You only need one club to nominate him in the top 20 to secure him away from Melbourne and the only club that I’ve seen being specifically mentioned with Andrew is GWS by Matt Rendell when he said he was hearing that the Giants were going to use their first pick (#2) to draft him. They also have pick 13.

    clubs i'd have in the "in need of a developing ruck" conversation would be Adelaide, Carlton, Gold Coast, Melbourne, StKilda, WB

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      On 24/10/2021 at 02:04, Turner said:

    clubs i'd have in the "in need of a developing ruck" conversation would be Adelaide, Carlton, Gold Coast, Melbourne, StKilda, WB

    Adelaide has pick 4 - unlikely.
    Carlton - no top 20 picks and drafted 210-centimetre ruckman Alex Mirkov from Old Ivanhoe in the VAFA in this year’s mid season draft.
    Gold Coast Suns - have only one draft pick at 3 - unlikely and also took 205cm Ned Moyle of the Oakleigh Chargers in this year’s mid-season draft.
    StKilda - have Pick 9 but they did take a developing ruckman in this year’s mid-season draft, 204cm Max Heath. 
    Western Bulldogs - no top 20 picks but will be taking 204cm Sam Darcy as a father/son. More a forward but could be developed as a ruckman. 

    GWS at 13 which will become 15 after father/sons is probably the only real suitor and if not them, Melbourne might not be called upon to match until the mid 20s.

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      On 24/10/2021 at 04:44, Chelly said:

    Adelaide has pick 4 - unlikely.
    Carlton - no top 20 picks and drafted 210-centimetre ruckman Alex Mirkov from Old Ivanhoe in the VAFA in this year’s mid season draft.
    Gold Coast Suns - have only one draft pick at 3 - unlikely and also took 205cm Ned Moyle of the Oakleigh Chargers in this year’s mid-season draft.
    StKilda - have Pick 9 but they did take a developing ruckman in this year’s mid-season draft, 204cm Max Heath. 
    Western Bulldogs - no top 20 picks but will be taking 204cm Sam Darcy as a father/son. More a forward but could be developed as a ruckman. 

    GWS at 13 which will become 15 after father/sons is probably the only real suitor and if not them, Melbourne might not be called upon to match until the mid 20s.

    The "word" seems to be that GWS are very keen but have no idea where that comes from / how credible it is

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      On 23/10/2021 at 06:43, Whispering_Jack said:

    At least he’ll be playing AFL in an early round in 2022 and not in 2 or 3 years time which is the expectation with Andrew. The pressure of something like that will be similar to that experienced by Jack Watts when he went #1. Hopefully, he lands at a good club.

    In AFL media speak, this is one of the expressions that doesn't have an opposite. The media will regularly tell us who the "good clubs" are but never who the "bad clubs" are. Similarly, we regularly hear when someone is lucky because they play with a team with a "good coach" but we never hear about a player being unlucky to have a "bad coach".

    I suspect the same media types don't believe in Isaac Newton's Third Law, either.

     

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      On 24/10/2021 at 22:26, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

    In AFL media speak, this is one of the expressions that doesn't have an opposite. The media will regularly tell us who the "good clubs" are but never who the "bad clubs" are. Similarly, we regularly hear when someone is lucky because they play with a team with a "good coach" but we never hear about a player being unlucky to have a "bad coach".

    I suspect the same media types don't believe in Isaac Newton's Third Law, either.

     

    I don't think Melbourne would have been considered a "good club" for a young player to go to a decade ago but we certainly are these days and it would be a pity for Andrew to miss out on the opportunity to learn and develop as a ruckman under Max and Luke.

    I hesitate to mention it but I doubt whether some of the interstate clubs would be good for him but let's wait and see.

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      On 24/10/2021 at 05:27, deelusions from afar said:

    The "word" seems to be that GWS are very keen but have no idea where that comes from / how credible it is

    I thought GWS or Sydney would be the most likely to steal Andrew in the first round.  Both need young development rucks.  

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      On 25/10/2021 at 03:39, spirit of norm smith said:

    I thought GWS or Sydney would be the most likely to steal Andrew in the first round.  Both need young development rucks.  

    i am more than happy for him to go early to an interstate club; in that respect our 'nga academy' becomes groundwork for woo'ing him home after three seasons

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