1 minute ago, Mouseymoo said:

I reckon bombers will take Sharp before us. There's too much interest in Sharp and they'll be scared we'll trade out pick 8.

Bird in the hand and all that.. They'll take him with Taylor (probably) and pair up Taylor with his best mate Dovaston and call it a day.

Do a bit to turn around their culture too those 3.

It's all speculation and I'm no expert, but they'd be big draft winners for mine if they got those three. I rate all three of them higher than both Farrow and Nairn, and reckon Sharp and X Taylor are the two best players in the draft.

32 minutes ago, demoncat said:

Could that be worse for us?

Tigers - Cumming and Farrow

Richmond - Robey and Taylor

Us - Nairn and…

My guess would be Pickett or Dovaston, think Cumming would be the one tigers let slide over Robey in which case he would get to us

Edited 17 hours ago17 hr by Garbo

Why are we so into Nairn when no one else seems to be?

(sorry if this has already been discussed)

15 hours ago, CRomey said:

These Essendon pick 9 shennanigans are a real pain in the behind. I hope if Essendon pass on Sharp to try and outfox us, and Collingwood are keen on Sharp (as Cal has suggested they are) then we deal with them and their F1 (condolences to Sharp being an Essendon fan) to stick it right up em.

Ess got spooked last year with Kako

1 minute ago, Young Angus said:

Why are we so into Nairn when no one else seems to be?

(sorry if this has already been discussed)

Huh? Lots of other clubs are linked to him.

12 minutes ago, Mouseymoo said:

I reckon bombers will take Sharp before us. There's too much interest in Sharp and they'll be scared we'll trade out pick 8.

Bird in the hand and all that.. They'll take him with Taylor (probably) and pair up Taylor with his best mate Dovaston and call it a day.

Do a bit to turn around their culture too those 3.

That would mean Cumming or Robey slips through to us then and I just can’t see that happening

Of course this is all presuming Richmond takes Farrow which seems very unlikely (but stranger things have happened)

We have some ageing forwards in Miohcheck 32, Melksham 34, Fritsch 28 then we have Chandler 26 and JVR 22. Nairn & Pickett would help us in how we want to play in our fwd half. The Lions have Rayner, Lohman, Cameron and Bailey and it works well for them.

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Don’t mind that first trade- make our 37 bid come in one more and also means Giants aren’t picking player we want just before us.

46 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

It's all speculation and I'm no expert, but they'd be big draft winners for mine if they got those three. I rate all three of them higher than both Farrow and Nairn, and reckon Sharp and X Taylor are the two best players in the draft.

Why are people so worried about us drafting Sharp if he's considered one of the best players in the draft?

16 minutes ago, Young Angus said:

Why are we so into Nairn when no one else seems to be?

(sorry if this has already been discussed)

Because we think he's a better footballer than the other footballers available.

I don't mean to be glib but it's just that different teams rate different players differently. Also, pre-draft rankings don't really mean anything because they are just done by enthusiastic amateurs who have a tendency spend their time looking at the players that get the highest number of possessions and goals in games that are easy to see. As an example, Dyson Sharp has been racking up huge numbers for years, spent most of the year playing midfield in the SANFL seniors, whilst Nairn has been getting the ball 20 times a game in the SANFL Under 18s. Which one of those games do you think a hobbyist in Melbourne is going to notice?

Cal Twomey's Phantom Form Guide: Top draft prospects' July ranking

This is Twomey's guide in July. It's hugely different to his Phantom draft because in July he doesn't have much intel on what clubs think, unlike what he does 2 days from the draft. He couldn't know all the players because he doesn't have those resources nor doesn't he really know what he's looking for. He has Farrow rated at 21, X Taylor at 15, Cumming at 13 and Lindsay and Greeves at 7 and 11.

It's not his fault, it's just that the clubs know what they're looking for and put the effort into looking for it, whilst casuals don't know and have difficulty accessing the means to find it out. As a result they overweight guys who play really good junior football and underweight guys who will play good AFL football.

I mean, who would seriously choose to watch Central Districts under 18s play Norwood on a cold Friday night in July just to watch Cam Nairn slog it out for 10 disposals and a goal?

4 minutes ago, Blistering said:

Why are people so worried about us drafting Sharp if he's considered one of the best players in the draft?

The worry is that he is not quick and hasnt got great disposal which isnt the way the modern game is going. I cant help but compare him to a Clayton Oliver type.

His pros definitely outway the cons in my opinion, but we already have Viney and now Stelle how are similar types. They wont be around forever but Langford will also move into the middle more who isnt blessed with speed.

Having two inside midfielders with limited pace could see us getting beaten by pace. It would also severely limit who we pick up in the future as we would need to compliment them.

It would be stupid of Essendon to pass over him. He is exactly what they need and will make an impact from opening round next year.

11. Melbourne - Jacob Farrow
West Perth/Western Australia
DEF/MID, 187cm

Farrow is a smooth-moving footballer with a beautiful left leg. He effortlessly clears 60 metres from his typical station off halfback, though showed exciting scope through the midfield in patches. His upside is a mix of Hayden Young and Jordan Dawson as a damaging midfielder with his wicked left boot.

12. Melbourne - Cameron Nairn
Central District/South Australia
FWD, 188cm

The latest bolter of the crop. Nairn's links to Melbourne are irrepressible, with rival clubs now surprised if he doesn't land at the Demons. The SA forward runs all day, is high-impact in his touches forward of centre and offered a glimpse of midfield craft late in the season.

In the mix: Farrow and Nairn look to be preferred over Grlj and Sharp is available at this spot. Expect Cumming or Taylor to be snapped up if still on the board, while Dovaston remains a smoky to be taken at this stage.

33. Melbourne - Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country
FWD/MID, 186cm

Hibbins-Hargreaves is a match-winner that hasn't consistently shown his best through illness and injury this year. He dominated in patches, including a fourth quarter blitz against WA, but has slid in the estimation of some clubs given his limited exposure to the midfield.

In the mix: The Dees are on the hunt for forward depth. Latrelle Pickett won't be here but Leon Kickett is another option out of WA, and Talor Byrne has been linked.

52. Melbourne - Hunter Holmes
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
MID, 186cm

Holmes offers a similarly game-breaking athletic package to older brother Max. Similarly, they both lacked midfield exposure in their draft year but Hunter locked down a wing for Oakleigh all season where he showed flashes of his attributes.

In the mix: Under Steven King the Dees will be keen to emulate the fast ball movement and forward conduits of the Cats. They've had a look at Louis Kellaway which would be a blow to the Tigers and the power of Oskar Ainsworth appeals.

Edited 16 hours ago16 hr by dazzledavey36

crazy to think how much has changed in a few weeks. Schubert and Lindsay seems nuts looking back. My hope is Hibbins Hargreaves with 37(what will be 33). He's not in the Cal's top 30 so I'm hoping he slips to us. Luwdyke(botched spelling sorry) would be awesome as well

19 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

11. Melbourne - Jacob Farrow
West Perth/Western Australia
DEF/MID, 187cm

Farrow is a smooth-moving footballer with a beautiful left leg. He effortlessly clears 60 metres from his typical station off halfback, though showed exciting scope through the midfield in patches. His upside is a mix of Hayden Young and Jordan Dawson as a damaging midfielder with his wicked left boot.

12. Melbourne - Cameron Nairn
Central District/South Australia
FWD, 188cm

The latest bolter of the crop. Nairn's links to Melbourne are irrepressible, with rival clubs now surprised if he doesn't land at the Demons. The SA forward runs all day, is high-impact in his touches forward of centre and offered a glimpse of midfield craft late in the season.

In the mix: Farrow and Nairn look to be preferred over Grlj and Sharp is available at this spot. Expect Cumming or Taylor to be snapped up if still on the board, while Dovaston remains a smoky to be taken at this stage.

33. Melbourne - Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country
FWD/MID, 186cm

Hibbins-Hargreaves is a match-winner that hasn't consistently shown his best through illness and injury this year. He dominated in patches, including a fourth quarter blitz against WA, but has slid in the estimation of some clubs given his limited exposure to the midfield.

In the mix: The Dees are on the hunt for forward depth. Latrelle Pickett won't be here but Leon Kickett is another option out of WA, and Talor Byrne has been linked.

52. Melbourne - Hunter Holmes
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
MID, 186cm

Holmes offers a similarly game-breaking athletic package to older brother Max. Similarly, they both lacked midfield exposure in their draft year but Hunter locked down a wing for Oakleigh all season where he showed flashes of his attributes.

In the mix: Under Steven King the Dees will be keen to emulate the fast ball movement and forward conduits of the Cats. They've had a look at Louis Kellaway which would be a blow to the Tigers and the power of Oskar Ainsworth appeals.

just saw this. Praying for NHH

I’m no draft expert but surely Langdon’s wing is also up for grabs with a less defensive gameplan.

5 hours ago, BW511 said:

I’d like Langford rotating through a wing with XL a little longer to allow his underage marking develop into his AFL game.

Two tall, marking wings with Nairn and Langford would be perfect. Both very comfortable kicking goals from there too

Don't forget about Culley as well

2 minutes ago, deemoralizing67 said:

just saw this. Praying for NHH

Would be a massive outcome.

He's got consistency issues in his game, but his potential is pretty high imo.

10 minutes ago, BAMF said:

The worry is that he is not quick and hasnt got great disposal which isnt the way the modern game is going.

Could it also be that if you're slow and can't kick, and then something goes wrong - you start to get injuries or just get passed by other midfielders - there's no fallback for you? If you can kick you can go to half back. If you're quick you can go to a wing or maybe play on dangerous small forwards.

I think if the last few years have shown us anything, it's the importance of versatility, even in the very very best midfielders. Like you said, Clayton Oliver is a good comparison.

Also, I don't think it's any coincidence that Tom Mitchell, Luke Ball, Brock McLean, all high picks or touted as exceptional players at some point in their careers, all limped to 150 or 200-odd games, even at a time when those type of players were in vogue.

27 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

11. Melbourne - Jacob Farrow
West Perth/Western Australia
DEF/MID, 187cm

Farrow is a smooth-moving footballer with a beautiful left leg. He effortlessly clears 60 metres from his typical station off halfback, though showed exciting scope through the midfield in patches. His upside is a mix of Hayden Young and Jordan Dawson as a damaging midfielder with his wicked left boot.

12. Melbourne - Cameron Nairn
Central District/South Australia
FWD, 188cm

The latest bolter of the crop. Nairn's links to Melbourne are irrepressible, with rival clubs now surprised if he doesn't land at the Demons. The SA forward runs all day, is high-impact in his touches forward of centre and offered a glimpse of midfield craft late in the season.

In the mix: Farrow and Nairn look to be preferred over Grlj and Sharp is available at this spot. Expect Cumming or Taylor to be snapped up if still on the board, while Dovaston remains a smoky to be taken at this stage.

33. Melbourne - Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country
FWD/MID, 186cm

Hibbins-Hargreaves is a match-winner that hasn't consistently shown his best through illness and injury this year. He dominated in patches, including a fourth quarter blitz against WA, but has slid in the estimation of some clubs given his limited exposure to the midfield.

In the mix: The Dees are on the hunt for forward depth. Latrelle Pickett won't be here but Leon Kickett is another option out of WA, and Talor Byrne has been linked.

52. Melbourne - Hunter Holmes
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
MID, 186cm

Holmes offers a similarly game-breaking athletic package to older brother Max. Similarly, they both lacked midfield exposure in their draft year but Hunter locked down a wing for Oakleigh all season where he showed flashes of his attributes.

In the mix: Under Steven King the Dees will be keen to emulate the fast ball movement and forward conduits of the Cats. They've had a look at Louis Kellaway which would be a blow to the Tigers and the power of Oskar Ainsworth appeals.

This would be an awesome outcome with NHH and Holmes

13 hours ago, old55 said:

I'm not convinced we like Farrow more than Pickett. If things pan out according to Twomey with Robey, Cumming and X.Taylor gone by our picks, it wouldn't surprise me if we went Pickett with Nairn. According to Twomey, North have traded up to take him 3 picks later.

Taylor was very positive in his assessment of Farrow on Gettable, so I'm likely wrong on Pickett over Farrow.

1 hour ago, Blistering said:

Why are people so worried about us drafting Sharp if he's considered one of the best players in the draft?

Someone on here the other day said a recruiter they spoke to said that whilst he might turn out to be Joel Selwood, he also could turn out to be Devon Robertson.

5 hours ago, hillie said:

I see Langford as Petracca reincarnated

And Petracca says (in a Monty Python voice, of course). “I’m not dead yet!”

1 hour ago, The Taciturn Demon said:

Could it also be that if you're slow and can't kick, and then something goes wrong - you start to get injuries or just get passed by other midfielders - there's no fallback for you? If you can kick you can go to half back. If you're quick you can go to a wing or maybe play on dangerous small forwards.

I think if the last few years have shown us anything, it's the importance of versatility, even in the very very best midfielders. Like you said, Clayton Oliver is a good comparison.

Also, I don't think it's any coincidence that Tom Mitchell, Luke Ball, Brock McLean, all high picks or touted as exceptional players at some point in their careers, all limped to 150 or 200-odd games, even at a time when those type of players were in vogue.

Agree. Although I think in this draft you would be pretty happy picking up a Tom Mitchell.

I see calls by some supporters to move Viney to the forward line. He is an inside midfielder. Period. Sure, throw him forward for small periods to switch up things within games, but when kids eventually go past him in the pecking order for the inside midfield spots? He wont be getting picked in the best 24 in another position.

You cant have too many of those types anymore. We were already struggling having both Viney and Oliver.

I do feel its unkind to Sharp to point out his deficiencies based on current trends. Someone is going to pick him up and get a ripping young kid who could become a future captain. The guy is already beating grown men in the SAFL seniors.

I just watched Cals phantom draft and it’s the least confident I have ever seen him. I think there are still plenty of balls in the air

I don't think there will be any trading within the top 10 itself, clubs by this point have done a lot of work and have a pretty good idea who's going to be available. if any trades happen it'll be outside the top 10 to catch someone like Sharp, Schubert or Farrow if they happened to slide a bit.

Consensus across all phantom drafts (AFL.com, the Age, Herald Sun and ESPN) is Farrow and Nairn

Think we can lock those two in unless there’s is a shock with Richmond or Essendon that causes a domino effect