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Tipped this 😀

For most of the early part of last night’s first round of the draft, things were going as planned with the exception of some brief disruptions when a couple of the pick trades were announced. The surprises came later on in the evening with the early selection of players not widely expected to be in the top 20 - players like Leek Alleer (GWS Giants), Angus Sheldrick (Sydney) and Kai Lohmann (Brisbane Lions). A couple of others such as Darcy Wilmot (Brisbane Lions) and Tom Brown (Richmond) only entered the top 20 picture in the last fortnight. All this leaves us with an interesting array of players ready to be selected in the second round and beyond who have, for the most part of the journey, been considered as probable/possible first rounders. Here are the names that should be prominent early and there’s some quality there - Rhett Bazzo Sam Butler Judson Clarke Toby Conway Arlo Draper Josh Fahey (GWS Giants NGA) Josh Goater Blake Howes Matthew Johnson Mitch Knevitt Alastair Lord Connor Macdonald Jesse Motlop (Fremantle NGA) Cooper Murley Mitch Owens (St KIlda NGA) Matthew Roberts Tyler Sonsie Zac Taylor Corey Warner Jack Williams Marcus Windhagen (St KIlda NGA) That should well and truly cover Round Two of tonight’s draft and there are another eight more rounds to follow (albeit rounds 9 & 10 are allocated to the Western Bulldogs). I think Melbourne did well with its first selection and tonight we can expect at least two more although one of them might be father-son pick Taj Woewodin. The Demons’ next pick is currently scheduled at number 38 so you can safely wait until after 8.30pm before tuning it. The club also holds picks 42 and 50 so it should be a much earlier night than last year’s draft which was wrapped up at close to midnight when someone bearing a close resemblance to Jordan De Goey was sighted stepping out for an exciting evening ahead.

Not sure in what way I've been tough. I've said I thought he would be drafted higher and surprised that Brisbane - and Sydney, in particular once Tom Brown was taken ahead by Richmond- didn't take him ahead of us to be honest. I've compared him as a defender to a good player in Harry Petty, but i think as forward, whilst he's performed very well at Colts level and other junior levels, there isn't a big positive sample size of him beating the ilk or physique of player he is going to come across at AFL level and without seeming to be outrageously skilled or uber athletic that puts a question mark on whether he can be a dominant AFL figurehead forward, remembering that when most Demonlanders were waxing lyrical about Jack Watts dominating an under 18 game, he was playing on Brad Sheppard with a 10cm and 12kg physical advantage. Watts I think was a good player, but these concepts are behind the reason I think he is at Pick 19 in a draft incredibly bereft of his type of player and not in the top half dozen picks. I think its a good list management pick from a positional list build viewpoint and you are 100% he comes into a great situation for himself at the Dees (most, it has to be said, will, given we have a very balanced list) and I think he could be a good player, maybe a Nick Larkey type, but unlike someone like the patronising and condescending Spirit Of Norm Smith, I'm not going to guess and shamelessly make constantly wrong and grandiose statements or inflated comparisons and bombard the site with drivel. Rather am just providing what I pray to be a balanced, honest assessment. I hope he is the second coming of Neita, but at this stage Im only happy to concede that he is at least going to be a handy structural spine player. Its a great pick by you to identify him as the man we were going to take and I think its going to be interesting for you to compare him and Andrew going forward, because their careers are going to be kind of the lab study of your thesis about Andrew and youve got a very good chance to be proven right. but I need to see him beating good players to be confident. Josh Schache was routinely murdered by Jacob Weitering in his draft year and Van Rooyen hasn't played on someone like that. I need to see either optics of dominance or class, or to see him beating quality players first to be confident. AFL comparison: Harry Petty or could be a Nick Larkey, whichever way you swing.

The Demons have chosen Blake Howes with pick 39.

Did we just try to move up the draft to nab this kid, get knocked back by the AFL but land him anyway? If so, that’s awesome! Welcome to the Premiers, Blake.

Imagine this, you come in as an 18 year old KPF and your job at training is to compete against Steven May, Jake Lever and Harry Petty. His development will be fast tracked as a result, to the point where he will probably have easier match ups in an actual game than he would at training....

My youngest played against JVR's younger brother this year and he was an absolute joy to watch playing. Smooth mover, penetrating kick. JVR himself as I said previously is an excellent backman and IMO has shown enough to think he has a very high ceiling as a forward

Between listening to JT and Goody it’s obvious the club looks for certain character traits in its players. Fully expecting an announcement video for a new receptionist that begins with ‘we really like what Sharon brings with her competitiveness, desire for the contest and willingness to compete. She has excellent character, and leadership’.

Unfortunately much of Van Rooyen's best forward work at WAFL colts level is not on freely available game tape, but he was dominant in multiple matches against mostly mediocre opponents. Most of his high-profile and watchable footage was played in key defence where, stylistically and in terms of trait, he is very reminiscent of Harry Petty - steady overhead, big wingspan and an effort player. It sounds like the club view him more as a key forward, where he projects to be more of a solid structural piece than a star, which is the question on him and why he is down at pick 19 - does he have the class and or athletic specialness to be a dominant AFL level key forward? I was surprised given the dearth of key position options that he was available at this pick. Think it's a sound list management pick but not necessarily a sexy decision. If he fails or is ineffective as forward, should at worst make it as a second or third key back.

Looks like Rooey, Howey and Woey. Goody should be happy.

Hi Jacob and family. Welcome to the club Get used to [censored] like this. Its how we roll on Demonland.

I think you’re being tough with our boy JVR, noting that he was diagnosed with glandular fever in May and that illness can knock you about even if you’re a fit young person. That makes his efforts both in the WAFL Colts and for the WA Under 19s even more admirable. I did watch him in those state games and he was impressive in both in defence and attack. Moreover, my understanding is that he was sent down back after already proving himself as a forward at Colts level and in earlier state games to test his capability in defence. He not only did that but also from memory was sent forward late in the game and kicked the winning goal. He’s gone a long way to proving his versatility and he’s lucky to be at Melbourne where there’s absolutely no pressure on him to hold a place in the senior straight away.

Pick 65. Melbourne. Father son nomination. Taj Woewodin fantastic news !!!

You're getting too caught up in the number of the picks. We will take Woewodin as our last selection (rightly or wrongly). So we either use 51 on Woewodin and be done for the night, or we gain future capital for next year and pick Woewodin up at the end of the draft. We now own 2x 3rd rounders and 2x 4th rounders for next year. Should help facilitate more trades or draft movement in 2022

To be fair he hasnt trashed the player in my view, but rather the concept of drafting him with a high pick - and with some sensible reasoning. I don't necessarily agree but have never felt his comments had anything do with him being from Sudan either, other than that fact linked him to our academy. He's been very unflattering about Mac's arm girth, all the same.

I think this is great. Pity Brad Scott had to announce it.

Thrilled about this selection. Offers something 'different' to what is already the best list in the comp. A steal!!

Been biting my finger nails hoping he’d get through and it’s happened, very happy.

Not me, faulty. I squat down low, tuck my head into my chest, put my hands on the ground, lean forward and push. That's how I roll.

Acronyms got out of hand at some stage as beaurecrats tried to outdo themselves to make sure any program introduced had an acronym which formed an easily digestible word rather than just the simple letter array which is an acronym. This often meant the words in the program were arranged in orders which often altered the priority of the words IMHO the perfect acronym was TLA which was in fact a three letter acronym for Three Letter Acronym.

It might have escaped you that I was responding to Ivan’s comment in a discussion which involved Andrew. If you don’t like what I say then feel free to block me.

In the leadup to the GF there was alot of talk about the past players WhatsApp group. I imagine they would be going off tonight

We've got picks until we fill our list or pass, we traded out the earlier picks for draft capital next year so we didn’t waste them this year.

Posters panicking ….demondland hasn’t seen that since early in the 3rd quarter of grand final gameday thread 🤨

You don't want to hear how any Dutch is correctly pronounced. You'll feel like someone is expectorating all over you.

I wouldn't have done either, either. Good thing i wasn't in charge! But as you say sent a very clear message. It seems to me that over the journey many people seemed to think goody's quiet, reflective demeanor was evidence of a lack of fire, steeliness and toughness. Those calls were evidence such an assessment were way of the mark

Did Did he say who he used to barrack for?

Looks like Dad knew something was up. They might’ve been informed that we were very keen on him (which suggests to me he was our target before the draft got under way)

His surname sounds like "Van Ruin" and, given he can play forward or back, he qualifies as a "Kombi". Here is another Kombi Van Ruin.

While I find Western Australians can pronounce things oddly (Albany, Derby) the commentators for his highlights seemed to call him Van Ruin - as in 'Collingwood is in ruins'

Hmmm. Correctly identified Bowey last year and started a thread on him. Demonland recently had a post which mentioned WJ talking to a recruiter. WJ promoting Howes in previous threads and now started a new thread dedicated to him. WJ clearly with the good sauce 🤔 Welcome to demonland Blake Howes. Or its just a coincidence 🤷.

hmmmm..........that's exactly my image of uncle bitters taking a dump 🥴

Any draftee would be happy to land at MFC. Bowey shown what’s possible. The club also plays kids if they are showing form (sparrow, Jordan, Jackson). We might be a top side but unlike many top teams of the past - we do play youth. Should set us up well going forward too.

Judging by the size of his father, I have a feeling that there’s still some room for growth there.

Correct. Except for Taj, which neither - it’s just his actual name :)

They’re examples of Initialism. Capital letters each representing a word and pronounced separately.

Those aren't acronyms, they're abbreviations

Reminds me of a young Conan O’Brien.

@Whispering_Jack has done a great job of updating the draft selection to come after last night's events in the post pinned at the top of the board. I searched for this elsewhere and I couldn't readily find it. Our picks have become 38, 42 and 50. I think we're planning to take 2 more selections and one of them will probably be Taj Woewodin - so I think it would make sense to try to trade these three picks for two with one earlier than 38 and one later than 50. It's not clear looking at the draft order who would be interested and could do a deal like that. Maybe one of Geelong, Richmond or North who each have 3 picks before ours, but none of them seem to have picks later with points value in case we need them for TW. Maybe we could just trade 38 and 42 for one of their picks. The other option might be to get an extra future pick with 42.

“I had an interview with (coach) Simon (Goodwin) and then they called me (Tuesday) night to see how I was going. So I had a suspicion but wasn’t really sure. “I feel obviously stoked and pumped. It’s really exciting and a dream come true.” Looks like they planted the seed the night before

The fam knows when they’re on a winner! ❤️💙🏆

''Goo Demons!'' '' The Premiership team'' Can't love this reaction enough

Given the Afrikaans are descendants of the Dutch, through settlement in southern Africa by the Dutch East India Company, I would have thought the Dutch link is highly relevant.

Good God. What has his family origins got to do with anything ?