Phantom Drafts 2023

[Little Goffy 14,750]

If Nick Watson falls to us he'll be the next Brent Harvey.

If Dan Curtain comes to us he'll be the next Paul Roos.

If McKercher slides all the way to us he'll be a speedier James Hird.

If it is Sanders, let's not overdo it and just welcome the new Lenny Hayes.

Conor O'Sullivan will of course be the new Dustin Fletcher if we take him or the new Simon Prestagiacomo if we don't.

Caddy won't be quite what we expected and end up just being the new Warren Tredrea.

 

So, with all that in mind, I think pick 6 should be a winner.

[Nascent 9,320]

45. Melbourne - Kade De La Rue

Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country FWD, 183cm, 79kg

ESPN draft rank: 42

A balanced and smart forward-half midfielder, De La Rue weights balls to leading forwards and hits the target more often than not. His ball use is sublime, and it's an area of the ground the Dees were found wanting late in the year.

If not De La Rue? Harvey Johnston is a chance here, and Melbourne will eye off small forward talent with Jack Delean and Jack Callinan appealing.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Nascent

[adonski 12,903]

1 minute ago, Nascent said:

45. Melbourne - Kade De La Rue

Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country FWD, 183cm, 79kg

ESPN draft rank: 42

A balanced and smart forward-half midfielder, De La Rue weights balls to leading forwards and hits the target more often than not. His ball use is sublime, and it's an area of the ground the Dees were found wanting late in the year.

If not De La Rue? Harvey Johnston is a chance here, and Melbourne will eye off small forward talent with Jack Delean and Jack Callinan appealing.

ESPN just making stuff up

[Nascent 9,320]

1 minute ago, adonski said:

ESPN just making stuff up

When you think about it, isn't everything technically made up.

[adonski 12,903]

2 minutes ago, Nascent said:

When you think about it, isn't everything technically made up.

Source?

[Nascent 9,320]

2 minutes ago, adonski said:

Source?

[Demonsterative 3,021]

21 minutes ago, Nascent said:

 

This man is still alive and will provided us his word next Monday. 

[Little Goffy 14,750]

This thread is getting ready to take over from NoT$NoB$ thread when it tips 30,000 and is put out to pasture.

[Vineytime 854]

Harry DeMattia s smoky for our 2nd pick. 

[Nascent 9,320]

13 minutes ago, Vineytime said:

Harry DeMattia s smoky for our 2nd pick. 

Got mail or an educated guess?

[spirit of norm smith 16,615]

26 minutes ago, Vineytime said:

Harry DeMattia s smoky for our 2nd pick. 

A low chance but still a possibility 

Demattia has good pace, strength and thrives in contested footy.  

[Vineytime 854]

1 hour ago, Nascent said:

Got mail or an educated guess?

Only a hunch, has previously been highly rated, trained with us for a week last pre season. Impressive young fella. 

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,477]

Does anyone see any big surprises coming in the first rd? 

[TRIGON 4,792]

11 hours ago, Vineytime said:

Harry DeMattia s smoky for our 2nd pick. 

I can't fathom why the FD would have perceived the need to trade picks 14, 27 & 35 just to grab DeMattia at 11. 

[The Jackson FIX 3,366]

2 hours ago, TRIGON said:

I can't fathom why the FD would have perceived the need to trade picks 14, 27 & 35 just to grab DeMattia at 11. 

Agree but perhaps plan A for the acquisition of 11 was more about an attempt to bundle something up for pick 1. Plan B is a bundle for pick 3. Plan C is a good quality young player with 11. Plan Q is reeling in Demattia

[Colm 2,189]

1 hour ago, The Jackson FIX said:

Agree but perhaps plan A for the acquisition of 11 was more about an attempt to bundle something up for pick 1. Plan B is a bundle for pick 3. Plan C is a good quality young player with 11. Plan Q is reeling in Demattia

We are starting to be linked with a few players that are rated a bit lower down than our pick 11 so I wonder if your right and we are covering our bases should we end up doing a trade with north for picks 3&15. 

[Nascent 9,320]

Hawks apparently 50:50 on Curtin and Watson.

 

[Gawndy the Great 9,011]

Some of the draft reviews use the "Similar to / Plays like" comparison, which i appreciate as we don't get to see a lot of how they play. Now this is only a style comparison and makes no secret that it doesnt equate to actual quality / effectiveness as they have yet to be proven. 

Which gets me to the plays comparison of the players we have been linked to and will likely be available around our picks. If we can assume that they will be in the ball park to the players they are compared against, how would this shape your pick preferences for 6 and 11?

Daniel Curtin plays like Steven May

Connor O'Sullivan plays like Sam Taylor

Ryley Sanders plays like  Andrew Brayshaw

Koltyn Tholstrup plays like Camron Rayner

Darcy Wilson plays like Sam Walsh

Caleb Windsor plays like Nick Martin and finally my favourite:

Kynan Brown plays like Errol Gulden (because we get him on the cheap)

For me: Curtin; Wilson 

[Gawndy the Great 9,011]

17 hours ago, Demonsterative said:

 

This man is still alive and will provided us his word next Monday. 

Based on profile pic, I assume you are referring to @Ethan Tremblay

[whatwhat say what 23,418]

48 minutes ago, Gawndy the Great said:

Some of the draft reviews use the "Similar to / Plays like" comparison, which i appreciate as we don't get to see a lot of how they play. Now this is only a style comparison and makes no secret that it doesnt equate to actual quality / effectiveness as they have yet to be proven. 

Which gets me to the plays comparison of the players we have been linked to and will likely be available around our picks. If we can assume that they will be in the ball park to the players they are compared against, how would this shape your pick preferences for 6 and 11?

Daniel Curtin plays like Steven May

Connor O'Sullivan plays like Sam Taylor

Ryley Sanders plays like  Andrew Brayshaw

Koltyn Tholstrup plays like Camron Rayner

Darcy Wilson plays like Sam Walsh

Caleb Windsor plays like Nick Martin and finally my favourite:

Kynan Brown plays like Errol Gulden (because we get him on the cheap)

For me: Curtin; Wilson 

what i wish they would do is something more similar to the ringer etc. for the nba where it's something akin to...

dan curtin

• ceiling: steven may
• floor: cale morton  

[DeeSpencer 26,265]

58 minutes ago, Nascent said:

Hawks apparently 50:50 on Curtin and Watson.

 

Potential tiebreakers:

1. Go home factor, if in doubt take the local 

2. Height 

Starting to think it might be Curtin because I’m just not sure many recruiters have the guts to pick a jockey in the top 5.

 

 

[fr_ap 2,541]

I'm not sure on Curtin for a few reasons:

1) Speed / Agility appear a little lacking if he is indeed to turn into a bid bodied mid; in that context I'd like to see more of his contest work in the midfield to assess 

2) At the same time, as a key back he's a little undersized and doesn't have huge athleticism to match the likes of Curnow, Walter etc.

3) Appears a different kind of character to the other boys at the top end (can go one of two ways)

Looks a well skilled and balanced footballer but I just don't see the dynamism for the top level. Almost the polar opposite of Caddy in that regard who has all the dynamics but question marks over a lot of the other stuff. 

The Steven May comparisons look well off to me - people see a left footed full back and go there immediately.  

 

I honestly think Sanders or O'Sullivan are probably our best bet at 6, though I'm not overly enamoured with either of them either. 

11 can take either the slider out of the bunch and/or get into the Windsor/Leake/Wilson range. 

Watson - I would be keen but we have so many smalls on the list. I won't hate it if we take him, as he's a potential game-winner/cult favourite and could release Koz for more midfield time, but it seems a waste to have so much of the list focused on small forwards.  

*EDIT* just saw the highlights package in the Watson thread. I'd be ok with him...

It's just such a shame we won't get McKercher. Assuming Oliver gets back to being himself, Colby would totally complete our midfield and make our forward line issues look way better too.  

Such a shame. 

Edited November 16, 2023 by fr_ap

[DeeSpencer 26,265]

12 minutes ago, fr_ap said:

 

I'm not sure on Curtin for a few reasons:

1) Speed / Agility appear a little lacking if he is indeed to turn into a bid bodied mid; in that context I'd like to see more of his contest work in the midfield to assess 

2) At the same time, as a key back he's a little undersized and doesn't have huge athleticism to match the likes of Curnow, Walter etc.

3) Appears a different kind of character to the other boys at the top end (can go one of two ways)

Looks a well skilled and balanced footballer but I just don't see the dynamism for the top level. Almost the polar opposite of Caddy in that regard who has all the dynamics but question marks over a lot of the other stuff. 

The Steven May comparisons look well off to me - people see a left footed full back and go there immediately. 

 

Any kind of May comparison is crazy and I’m not even sold Curtin is a great interceptor like Lever.

But what if he takes over the Salem role in a few years and as a bonus is 197cm?

Or if he has the tank plays wing and you get a bonus interceptor and marking forward as he moves up and back.

Or even better what if he is a midfielder even if he isn’t the speediest or strongest he takes on the role Pendles plays right now as more of a centreman who drops back and skirts the contest and provides high level skills.

I think there’s ways to use him that maximise his skills without his deficiencies getting exploited.

[Greg Schneider 1,004]

Guess who 👿

[Nascent 9,320]

12 minutes ago, Jeremy said:

Guess who 👿

Names now attached to the picks for the Eagles.

Reid

Vs

Curtin, Tholstrup, Future 1st.