On 4/12/2023 at 2:13 PM, spirit of norm smith said:

I’d be keen to keep pick 8 ( Freo to finish 11th🤣🤣) and pick 18 ( Dees to win the premiership 🏆🏆).  Two young midfielders to be added to our group with foresight of list management in years ahead.   We seem very well covered in other areas. Will Lorenz, Cooper Simpson and Darcy Wilson would be likely types in the Dees mindset come November.  

Darcy Wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Guaranteed 1st rounder imv 

He's small but he sure packs a punch

 

 

48 minutes ago, adonski said:

 

Darcy Wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Guaranteed 1st rounder imv 
 

Definitely on JTs list 

Pace. Skill. Evasive ability. Run. Good decision maker. Looks a very good future AFL player.  

3 hours ago, adonski said:

 

has the overhead throwball perfected

We definitely need to bring in some quality mids some time soon.

Duursma and Watson thanks FD. 

Free Pickett up to play a more permanent mid role. Watson just looks dynamite. Reminds me of some of Adelaide's smalls, just so much energy with and without the ball and another cult figure who will brings crowds through the gates. 

Duursma just looks like silk and has that class we lack for our forward connection. And another who can roll through the midfield and be a point of difference. Our midfield needs a bit more variety through it. 

 

3 minutes ago, JimmyGadson said:

Duursma and Watson thanks FD. 

Free Pickett up to play a more permanent mid role. Watson just looks dynamite. Reminds me of some of Adelaide's smalls, just so much energy with and without the ball and another cult figure who will brings crowds through the gates. 

Duursma just looks like silk and has that class we lack for our forward connection. And another who can roll through the midfield and be a point of difference. Our midfield needs a bit more variety through it. 

 

I think they'll go two types, not one. Another small wouldn't go astray, but another midfielder and another KPP too. So we have some decisions to make.

9 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Darcy Wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Guaranteed 1st rounder imv 
 

Definitely on JTs list 

Pace. Skill. Evasive ability. Run. Good decision maker. Looks a very good future AFL player.  

Not sure I agree. I see a lot of cale Morton and a little Xavier Duursma. I see a lot of traits that wouldn't stand up at the level. Won't be on JTs list unless there are some actual competitive highlights floating around

1 hour ago, A F said:

I think they'll go two types, not one. Another small wouldn't go astray, but another midfielder and another KPP too. So we have some decisions to make.

Best available is always how they go with club's putting a premium on certain attributes over others. 

I'm sure we'll see a mix of players given how well positioned we'll be at the draft. I'm just excited about the potential of having two picks inside 10 given the depth of high end talent there is this year and I can't see us going wrong whichever way we go. 

Our program is humming, so whoever we bring in will be given every chance to reach their potential. And the higher the talent, the higher the potential. 

I like Watson because what he brings is multifaceted. I think our club needs more excitement factor both in the way we play but also personality. Watson is like Papley. He will bring supporters and kids along for the ride just like Pickett and the MFC need a couple more of those players. Last year our crowds were so quiet it was baffling. Part of that was our boring predictable game style, but another part of it is personnel. We need players who will bring excitement and an edge to our crowds. Collingwood have several of those etypes, Carlton the same, Brisbane etc. 

Excitable small forwards can do wonders for a club and because we aren't the most polished midfield unit going around, I think we need another highly skilled and polished small forward who brings an edge. Spargo, ANB and Chandler play a role. But this guy will create opportunities where there are none. Like Pickett. 

I want him. 

There is a paywall but because The Code has an affiliation with the Herald Sun, this article or parts of it may well appear there shortly.

AFL Draft 2023: Every player rated 1-10 from AFL Academy showcase

The writer is on page with everyone else who has given Harley Reid a massive tick as the firm favourite for the #1 pick.

“Harley Reid - 9/10

Midfielder/forward, 185cm, Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country

22 disposals, seven clearances, six marks, five inside 50s, one goal, 111 SuperCoach points 

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell was watching on in Mount Barker and Reid put on a show for him in the opening half. The No. 1 pick favourite was clearly best on to that point with 15 disposals, six clearances, five inside 50s and a goal to the main break, and his goal summed up his matchwinning ability. Reid leapt high to clunk a strong overhead mark under close defensive checking and converted the banana set shot from 20m on the boundary. But Reid, who turned 18 on Monday, lost his cool at times in the third term. He conceded a goal after giving away a free kick and 50m penalty and got into a scuffle on the deck on the boundary line after fending off a strong Port Adelaide opponent. The Tongala talisman faded a touch by his lofty standards but still finished as the No. 1 ranked player for the Academy with 111 SuperCoach points, 22 disposals (18 of those effective), seven clearances, six marks and five inside 50s.”

21 hours ago, adonski said:

 

Kicking efficiency in his performance in this game leaves a lot to be desired - will keep an eye on this when I see him playing in the future.

This thread reminds me of the old TV show TAC Future Stars! Great weekly reading and love everyone's input!

 

4 minutes ago, adonski said:

 

Both youngsters did the AFL Academy work experience training at the Demons during the pre season and both were impressive.

Super round WAFL Colts today with 3 games at Pentanet Stadium (Joondalup home ground of West Perth) with plenty of recruiting staff present.

Game 1

Claremont dominated against Subiaco with a 78 point win. Sam Van Rooyen put his name in view with his leading, second efforts and just outclassed his less experienced direct opponent, kicked 5 but missed a couple he should have kicked ending with 5.5

Dan Curtin - played higher up the ground as CHF and spent the second half playing through the middle, kicked 1 goal but showed his poise, class and versatility through the midfield 

Oscar Dees from Subiaco quiet day, given less room than his first 2 games and direct opponent really hurt him the other way with his spread

Game 2 Peel got over the top of fast finishing South Fremantle by 1 point

Not a highly contested game probably due to warm 31degree day, which allowed for very open game, South’s really wasteful with their delivery inside 50 just missing targets, Mitch Edwards dominating around the stoppages and showed some clean hands at ground level, definitely going first 2 rounds of the draft. Jacob Wahn playing free across half back for South’s showing a bit in the 2 games I’ve seen him this year.

Game 3

Perth on the back of an 8 goal 2nd quarter got up by 35, but apart from the second quarter wasn’t a bad game.

Mitch Keen mid from Perth continued with his good start to the year, kicking 3 to go with 19 touches. Coen Livingston the dominant big man on the ground at stoppage and CBDsbut only kicking 1. Will Cassidy and Darcy Craven from East Perth I thought for the most won the midfield battle and would love to get another shot at that second quarter. Quiet day from O’Driscoll. Michael Hall kicked 4 but 3 were in that dominant second quarter and 2 were down the ground frees

Edited April 22, 20231 yr by Pennant St Dee

10 minutes ago, Pennant St Dee said:

Oscar Dees

The sub-editors will have a field day if we draft him.

Sam van Rooyen with Freo's (our) 2nd rounder 🤞

5 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Both youngsters did the AFL Academy work experience training at the Demons during the pre season and both were impressive.

Cooper Simpson. Zane Duursma. Correction WJ

Both youngsters did the AFL Academy work experience training at the Demons during the pre season and both were ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY SUPER impressive.

Both Simpson and Duursma would be the perfect additions to our team. 

I might be out of line here, but I can see us landing a pick as high as 5 from Freo this year. 

Which would just be ludicrous. 

5 minutes ago, JimmyGadson said:

I might be out of line here, but I can see us landing a pick as high as 5 from Freo this year. 

Which would just be ludicrous. 

Wonder if the Eagles would be keen to split pick 1, like they split pick 2 last year....

18 minutes ago, adonski said:

Wonder if the Eagles would be keen to split pick 1, like they split pick 2 last year....

I think they will again 

2 hours ago, Pennant St Dee said:

I think they will again 

Would Harley Reid be worth it? We would conceivably have to give up Our R1 and Freo’s R1 and possibly our R2 or F1 depending on how all the picks land. 
 

Assuming current ladder positions that would look like:

P6, P13, P32 for P1 . That’s about 3500 points for 3000. Similar trade value for WC pickswap last year which saw it give 2 for 8 and 12. Maybe it’s our F2. 

Big call amd it’s early days… so we’ll just have to wait and see.

 

Edited April 22, 20231 yr by Gawndy the Great

10 hours ago, JimmyGadson said:

I might be out of line here, but I can see us landing a pick as high as 5 from Freo this year. 

Which would just be ludicrous. 

Would require one of GWS, GCS or NM to leap frog them. Freo have two games v Hawthorn and another v WCE, so GWS or GCS will probably need 7-8 wins realistically to get us a pick 5. Then we have to hope Rich, Port and any other middling team do enough to keep ahead of em and prevent it being a pick 8+

Edited April 22, 20231 yr by John Demonic

Interesting with Duursma and Simpson. We must rate both highly. Duursma is being tipped to be a top 5 pick so may not be with our reach unless we trade up. If the Suns finish with a higher pick that Freo then they will be better placed to trade up and grab a player before their academy player gets called. 
Would it be breaking any rules or ethically wrong if we told Duursma that we would pick him with our pick if he’s still on the board?- trying to ignite a bit of stay at home factor in him. 
Hawks will probably finish with pick one and take Reid. North will probably be the only other Vic team with a pick ahead of Freo,s(ours).