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2024 Phantom Drafts

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Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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30 minutes ago, fr_ap said:

Can anyone explain why we're not into Sid Draper at all?

He is literally everything we need - fast, agile, skilful, run and carry between the arcs, hit targets in transition, tough as nails, creative, good character, in and out midfielder.  

Looks like a combination of Lachie Neale and Zach Merrett but with even more speed and agility.

 Langford looks ok, but I don't feel he will change anything with the way we play. 

It's a big call but Draper could, like Naicos for Collingwood. 

Maybe it's a given that the Crows take him or maybe he has a big go home factor. Not sure, but there is no player more suited to us in this draft.  

Stop watching highlight videos, watch a full game clip and count the disposals that are good, ok and ugly. 

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    1 minute ago, DeeSpencer said:

    Stop watching highlight videos, watch a full game clip and count the disposals that are good, ok and ugly. 

    To be fair not many of us have the time. The majority of us on here (myself included) and basing our opinions purely on highlight reels.

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    Draper of the top bunch of mids looks the most indecisive with ball in hand

    Pretty daring to take a mid with a top 5 pick if you don't rate the boot AND the brain

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    To me his kicking looked better that Allan’s, and from what I’ve read Draper can’t kick and Allan is elite.

    Edited by Bombay Airconditioning

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    Just now, Bombay Airconditioning said:

    To me his kicking looked better that Allan’s, and from what I’ve read Draper can’t kick and Allan is elite.

    Pretty sure everyones in agreeance that Allans kicking is pretty dodgy

    Apples & oranges too comparing a pick 5 mid versus one selected likely outside the 10

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    Yeah it seems a bit strange to me that we have no interest in Draper, but if we pass on him that means the other teams did too. Including hometown club Adelaide and maybe even Richmond twice! What does that say? Probably there’s something there most of us can’t see. Or maybe he interviews poorly, is a flight risk etc. 

    I remember almost an identical discussion with Curtin this time last year. I was personally miffed we overlooked him for Windsor who was considered in the 12-20 range. Not anymore.

    That being said, I’ll still be a little miffed if we spend our prized pick on an intercept defender. 

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    10 minutes ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

    To be fair not many of us have the time. The majority of us on here (myself included) and basing our opinions purely on highlight reels.

    I’m not saying watch the full game, just watch a few of the footy stuff clips that compile most of a guys touches for a game and tally up (either by hand or just roughly in your head) the quality of his disposals.

    Draper had a couple of good sanfl games but also a lot where he struggled to get out of congestion or do a lot of damage.

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    Dan Gorringe had Dylan Alexander on his podcast earlier today (I believe that some of his phantom drafts have been posted on this thread. The bloke seems very knowledgeable in terms of draft prospects.) 

    He has us taking Jagga Smith with our first pick, and Harvey Langford sliding to our second pick (because of his lack of pace).

    Highly doubt this happens, but it would be almost the perfect result. 

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    I'd be surprised if Twomey is wrong about his top 5. He'll have been doing little else other than ringing people for the last few weeks to suss it out.

    It therefore seems like Lalor, O'Sullivan and Smith are the first three, and the only issue up for debate is whether Adelaide decide to go with Langford over Draper.

    I'm personally surprised to read that if Adelaide take Langford, we're apparently going to take Tauru over Draper. 

    However, I suspect in the end we get Langford and 5 and then one of Allan, Lindsay or perhaps even Tauru at 9.

    Also, this will have been debated before, but why the [censored] are Richmond, North, Carlton and Adelaide leaving it to us to bid on Ashcroft?

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    1 minute ago, titan_uranus said:

    Also, this will have been debated before, but why the [censored] are Richmond, North, Carlton and Adelaide leaving it to us to bid on Ashcroft?

    Richmond I'm not surprised about as they did a deal for Brisbane's first rounder during the trade period. They probably have an understanding, similar to us with Essendon re Kako, to not bid. At least I'd imagine there would be an informal understanding.

    As for the other clubs, stuffed if I know.

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    1 minute ago, Whispering_Jack said:

    IMG_7189.thumb.jpeg.19207a70c4583d368095a3b715e08d3a.jpeg

    SCOOPS! Surprised he didn't have Saints trading up to pick 1

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    Out of the 4 we are apparently got our sights on I'd go Langford, Tauru, Allen, Lindsay in that order. I thought we needed mids and a key forward not a flanker like Lindsay.

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    1 hour ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

    To be fair not many of us have the time. The majority of us on here (myself included) and basing our opinions purely on highlight reels.

     

    I know everyone hates these for Jagga but now you get to hate it for Sid too. Good stuff in bold, critical errors in italics, neutral stuff for the rest.

     

    0:00 excellent clean clearance at pace, kick is a bit of a mongrel and falls short in front of the defender
    0:15 backwards handball
    0:22 sprints backwards for 2 backwards handballs
    0:41 dives on the ball, htb
    0:52 gets a one two, gives it back again! You're the star mate, turn and kick it!
    1:02 nothing handball
    1:10 great spin and step, but up and under kick
    1:29 boundary chip
    1:40 great contest win, but handball gets knocked down
    1:44 cracks back in, handball to no one!
    1:55 ok kick from stoppage under pressure
    2:05 short kick under no pressure bounces in front of opponent, helps clean up the mess by conceding a backwards kick to his full back
    2:25 takes nice safe diagonal kick
    3:00 moon ball kick down the line
    3:09 off balance handball goes straight to the opposition
    3:22 fast hands, nice
    3:45 skips around a couple, picks out his brother with the aggressive loopy corridor kick. Result is nice, but still don't love the process
    3:58 wins a nice clearance, kicks the ball wrong way and half way to the moon, bizzare
    4:04 sneakily nice over the top handball
    4:20 wins a clearance, isn't sure what to do with it, gives it backwards to someone under pressure

    He's playing seniors after missing a good chunk of the year with a bad stress injury. So you have to give him some credit for getting out there and having 20+ touches and a number of clearances. Plus he isn't afraid to crack in.

    But at the same time the best of his ball use was a couple of nice handballs and 1 kick that was anything other than a hack forward (which midfielders have to do at times) or a short chip kick. And it hung in the air in the corridor looking pretty risky too.

    Again, hard to know just how much he was impacted by the injury but I wanted to see his pace result in good things happening even if he's not lacing out kicks.

     

    Edited by DeeSpencer

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    1 hour ago, Nascent said:

    I've seen Draper the least out of this years reported top 10 so my opinion is less informed. 

    But reading up on his weakness it sounds like he's a poor user of the footy.

    So is Langford though...

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    1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

    I’m not saying watch the full game, just watch a few of the footy stuff clips that compile most of a guys touches for a game and tally up (either by hand or just roughly in your head) the quality of his disposals.

    Draper had a couple of good sanfl games but also a lot where he struggled to get out of congestion or do a lot of damage.

    Fair enough. For what it's worth, longer clips of Langford show he's hardly a good kick either 

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    Reading all the negatives on Draper, you have to wonder whether Adelaide will in fact take him or not. Surely they'd give serious thought to going for Langford, which upends the apple cart somewhat.

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    10 minutes ago, fr_ap said:

    Fair enough. For what it's worth, longer clips of Langford show he's hardly a good kick either 

    Yeah he's not great, he gets a bit scrubby at times but the one thing he does seem to do is make quality and quick decisions with the ball. I reckon most Melbourne forwards would rather take their chances with the footy bouncing in front of them but delivered quickly than mucked around and then sat on their heads.

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    6 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Marc McGowan from the Age has updated his phantom draft and has Melbourne taking Langford and Allan. 

    https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/we-surveyed-13-afl-recruiters-this-is-how-we-predict-the-draft-will-unfold-20241113-p5kqdv.html

    Mail is Richmond super tight lipped on Pick 1 LALOR/SMITH.

    If SMITH goes 1 it changes a lot IMO

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    According to The West Australian:

    6. Melbourne – Josh Smillie (Eastern Rangers/Vic Metro)

    Midfielder, 195cm

    A massive midfielder who was dominant in the early part of the season and was linked to the No.1 pick. Can play forward as well given his height.

    11. Melbourne – Alix Tauru (Gippsland Power/Vic Country)

    Key Defender, 193cm

    One of the bolters who could well end up in the top-10, Tauru is a strong athlete who could be a great long-term replacement for star Steven May.

     

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    26 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Marc McGowan from the Age has updated his phantom draft and has Melbourne taking Langford and Allan. 

    https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/we-surveyed-13-afl-recruiters-this-is-how-we-predict-the-draft-will-unfold-20241113-p5kqdv.html

    If not Langford, Tauru. For 9, if not Allan, Lindsay, while we've been linked with Shanahan.

    He has Tauru going one pick before ours to St Kilda.

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    11 minutes ago, BLWNBA said:

    According to The West Australian:

    6. Melbourne – Josh Smillie (Eastern Rangers/Vic Metro)

    Midfielder, 195cm

    A massive midfielder who was dominant in the early part of the season and was linked to the No.1 pick. Can play forward as well given his height.

    11. Melbourne – Alix Tauru (Gippsland Power/Vic Country)

    Key Defender, 193cm

    One of the bolters who could well end up in the top-10, Tauru is a strong athlete who could be a great long-term replacement for star Steven May.

     

    would be more likely that we get Tauru at 6 and Smillie at 11

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    Twomey got as taking Lindsey instead of Allen after saying Allen might be taken at 6 by Tigers. Tigers take Allen after our 2nd pick.

    Sure. Makes sense.

     

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