4 minutes ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

Evidently, yes.

Strange

1 minute ago, Salems Lot said:

I would call it 360 degree thinking. He can play, he can kick goals (a clear need) he provides an extra level of support to our marquee player.

Yes, though I'd say koz provides an extra level of support for LP not the other way 'round.

Whilst of course it will be great for koz to have the opportunity to play with his cousin, the inference koz needs extra support of some sort (with the obvious implication being otherwise he will not play his best footy and/or might leave for another club) isn't fair to koz.

Koz is 24, 25 next year, played 120 odd games of AFL footy, is a premiership player, All Australian and just signed a lucrative long term deal.

He doesn't need any extra support.

4 minutes ago, heath55 said:

Strange

Not really. They’re both forwards. Comparing forward for forward is quite standard. If I compared Sparrows taps in the ruck to Max Gawn, that would be strange.

2 minutes ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

Not really. They’re both forwards. Comparing forward for forward is quite standard. If I compared Sparrows taps in the ruck to Max Gawn, that would be strange.

Sparrow is not exclusively a forward - nor has he ever had a role as a small, pressure, goal scoring forward? They’re two entirely different players.

JVR is a forward, you didn’t compare him to him? That’s my point

8 hours ago, redandbluemakepurple said:

A poor selection probably based on family connection. The AFL site says "The 19-year-old booted 32.18 at reserves level for the Bays." Note my highlighting. At senior level, he averaged 10 disposals. Hardly worthy of a high pick.

JT, your mojo has stopped working.

We will know in the next couple of years whether this was an inspired selection or a bust.

...a case premature conclusion from you 'purple'.

7 hours ago, Turner said:

since when was a small forward graded on their number of disposals, he needs to be invovled in scoring chains, goals, defensive intent. you can make some argument about spargo here, but he didnt do the goals/pressure part either. picketts do, its in their blood.

Don't worry about his reserves form, how about his seniors form in the SANFL

He's going at 16 disposals, 3 marks, 1 tackle, 2 clearances, 2 inside 50s, and 4 goals a game*

*PSA - redblue whatevs, take a beat if you were about to furiously rebutt the above point. It was a gag - I know he's only played one senior game.

9 hours ago, binman said:

Except for that tackle.

That was something else.

And I sign of bumps to come🤣

If things fell differently, Bombers were linked with the pick after ours, and North were set to pick him a couple of picks later if he got through. GWS had also put a lot of work into him over the past while.

None of them have a cousin already in their list.

34 minutes ago, binman said:

Yes, though I'd say koz provides an extra level of support for LP not the other way 'round.

Whilst of course it will be great for koz to have the opportunity to play with his cousin, the inference koz needs extra support of some sort (with the obvious implication being otherwise he will not play his best footy and/or might leave for another club) isn't fair to koz.

Koz is 24, 25 next year, played 120 odd games of AFL footy, is a premiership player, All Australian and just signed a lucrative long term deal.

He doesn't need any extra support.

Agreed however there has been talk of home sickness over the years and having a familiar face around the place can'tgo astray.

7 minutes ago, Salems Lot said:

Agreed however there has been talk of home sickness over the years and having a familiar face around the place can'tgo astray.

Sure, but he's only just signed a long term deal to stay at the club. Pretty definitive evidence he's not planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

I just think the idea that LP will reduce the likelihood koz will leave implies it was a signficant factor in the decision to draft LP.

Perhaps if koz hadn't just signed a long term deal and LP was a lage last round or rookie pick perhaps it might be a factor. But not a high first round draft pick in an elite bliion dollar competition.

All that said, I 100% agree that playing with family can only be a positive in terms of creating an environment koz loves being in. And that can only be a good thing - for koz, LP, the other indigenous players - in fact is argue the whole club.

A related factor I reckon is LP is 20, which I love. Even though understandably nervous, you could see the difference between LP and some of the 18 year olds.

He has a more life experience than most high end draft picks and I supect won't need the same level of support as say koz did in his first year. Seems like a self contained focused young fella.

Hopefully he thrives in an elite training environment. And if he does, hiven he has not had the benefit of elite junior footy development, he's got much more scope to go up levels than any other first round draft pick.

The parallels to koz, who was also taken at 12 and was also somewhat of a bolter (though perhaps not t9 the same extent) are fascinating.

Adelaide offered two first rounders to Essendon for Sharp.

Wonder if they offered that to us. Would be interesting to see had we have taken that deal, would Pickett have been available at Adelaide’s first pick at 22?

4 minutes ago, Demon_JB said:

Adelaide offered two first rounders to Essendon for Sharp.

Wonder if they offered that to us. Would be interesting to see had we have taken that deal, would Pickett have been available at Adelaide’s first pick at 22?

Sounds like North, GWS would have snapped him up

It's quite a jump from his early projected draft position, but then again so was the presumed alternative Nairn.

One clear factor is that with Kysaiah spending so much time in the midfield, even when he does go forward he can't be dashing around like a terrier, and that means that our forward line hasn't had a super-fast agile threat in it for a while.

Chandler isn't 'slow', but he isn't dangerously fast. Mentha, Henderson and Sharp? We clearly have a need.

Something that caught my eye in one of the profiles is that his SANFL u18s numbers included a disposal efficiency of 88%. That is extraordinary for someone who spends much of their time in and around the forward 50.

The highlight reels all feature him dashing and twisting and turning and finding space and kicking goals, but clearly he is also capable of using the ball in general.

Feels like if you can put an AFL-grade level of fitness into him, and he learns to enjoy pursuit tackling, then he could be a major weapon.

Just as a matter of interest for the doubters, Cal Twomey had Kossie as a speculative Phantom Draft pick 30 prior to us making one of the most important club decisions EVER in selecting him

9 hours ago, redandbluemakepurple said:

A poor selection probably based on family connection. The AFL site says "The 19-year-old booted 32.18 at reserves level for the Bays." Note my highlighting. At senior level, he averaged 10 disposals. Hardly worthy of a high pick.

JT, your mojo has stopped working.

Did you drive or catch the tram down to Glenelg to see him play those games?

4 hours ago, The end is nigh said:

Welcome to the club LSP!

Esoteric. Love it.

Exactly the type of player we need to take the pressure of our developing forwards. I love the selection and the clever way the club stole the night.

the real question needs to be is Sumner going the way of Kropinyeri ??

What always amuses me is how many seem so certain about this lad's abilities or anothers potential as to be already underscoring selections as mistakes etc.

It's a raffle. Even with the best Intel.....its a raffle. What one team sees as a possible fit another sees as not.

Just look at past drafts... its a raffle. Some picks mature into the game... some hit tge ground running.... some fall over their feet and disappear into obscurity.

Very seldom do you get a ready to go player.

This is just this year's additions... a handful next year... the team morphs.

All recruitment can do is cast their runes based upon experience.

I'll lay London to a brick half the first 20 picks don't.... DO NOT have long illustrious careers. Like every year some will gradually evolve... some will take a season... some a couple...

I think too many have come to rely on the 'footy machine" that is Private Schools and needed comps all pumping out cardboard cut outs. How's that worked out for everyone ??? It's a mixed bag.

You possibly had a better chance picking a certainty 20 years ago.... ( imho )

Now, you are going to have to go left field occasionally and go with instinct/gut/intuition.

This Pickett could be anything or nothing. Reality is thats most 17-19 yo 'kids'

Nothing about a teenager is fully formed. Some have wiser heads... some have bigger shoulders... some are just on 'their' path.

I have no doubt there's the Kozzie factor in this selection. But JT .. ne the MFC aren't going to waste a pick on a whim, a flight of fantastical indulgence. They can see something. Will we ever ??

Thats the fun of the Circus...

I don't know... but I'm curious to see how this plays out.

It's a raffle

There was an issue with sharing Twitter/X posts yesterday so here is a dump of some content for posterity.

The perfect photo doesn't exi-#DemonSpirit pic.twitter.com/elT9ao3xOR

— Melbourne Demons (@melbournefc) November 19, 2025

I reckon this is a great pick...yes a part of me thinks we should have got Sharp and we might regret that, but LP looks to be a great pick up regardless and lets be honest if he was tied to our club like a father-son or academy or something we would have been wanting him and matching bids etc. and some other club probably would have bid on him to make us accountable, and we would have got him. We wanted him, and I don't think any of us, including the football club and Kozzie, would have liked it if he ended up somewhere else.

He already looks great (in the highlights) and plays like our Koz a bit so I can't wait to see how he goes, reckon it will be very exciting!