Lord Travis

I'd wager Sharp plays high half forward similar to Nibbler in previous years. Has the running capacity and pace to do damage in that role. We'll rotate a few through the wings this year.

Thanks heaps to all the track watchers for getting down and sharing some great insights and photos. Love hearing about youngsters like Kolt stepping up!

Big year for Dees to be competitive again? Or big year to keep their career on track? If it's big year for Dees to be competitive, then it's our A graders and core leaders like Trac, Clarry, Gawn, May, Lever, Viney. Pretty self explanatory. We saw what happened when most of them were injured or not firing this year, and it will continue to happen if they don't perform and lead again like 2021-2023. If it's a big year for their own careers, we have a fair few but here are the ones that stand out to me: Petty - Obviously struggled with injury in 2024, but his season was poor and for position and experience he was rated one of the worst players in the league. He's not a natural forward. Send him back to defence. Bowey - Not convinced he makes it longer term without a position change. He started his career well, but has regressed in the years since, to the point where IMO he has minimal impact on games. We rarely see his supposedly elite kicking, and he doesn't have the speed or skillset to be made into a pure lockdown small defender either. He should be tried at half forward and used similar to how Spargo was a few years back in an attempt to improve our forward connection issues. I respect his bravery in attacking the ball, but he needs to impact games or he's wasting a crucial spot in the team as a rebounder off half back that doesn't actually rebound. Sparrow - Regressed and isn't up to AFL midfielder standard on output. Coming into his seventh season now and career best is averaging 17 touches. He needs a big season or he'll no longer be best 22 as other youngsters pass him. He had a big opportunity to step up in 2024 as he was fit and ready to step into a core midfield role with the loss of Trac and other depth, but he didn't step up and looks likely to be overtaken and be depth/delisted. Had decent success off half back as a junior, could potentially be trialled there. Laurie - Coming into his fifth year he needs to establish himself in the team or he's delist material (despite inexplicably being given a contract extension). Appears one of JT's biggest misses. Salem - I rate him highly and don't feel his 2021 season is given credit or kudos. He's constantly injured though, and when he returns from injury he struggles. His impact on games this past few years has been minimal, and at 30 years old next year he needs to fire and lead. OOC 2026, so he's likely only got two seasons left before he's cooked if he can't get himself fit and performing. McAdam - 30 year old who battled injury and form. Given we essentially traded ANB for him, we need him best 22 and playing his role. Likely will be delisted end of 2025.

The failure was mostly down to development and culture, not recruitment. We drafted talented footballers, then couldn't develop them and ruined them both mentally and physically. They had a horrible work environment, poor leadership infield and off field, poor resources, mountains of pressure etc. I feel sorry for those kids getting drafted to such a pathetic club and having their careers ruined. Their failure is on the club. It's a miracle Gawn survived and became the champion he is. Interestingly he did multiple ACL's and wasn't around the club as much, not getting on the park consistently for 5 years. Ironically those 5 years of ongoing injuries saved him from the rubbish environment. Trengove was on his way to being a star of the competition and was basically on par with Dusty for the first few years. Injuries and shoving captaincy on him when he wasn't ready for that pressure is what ruined him. As a draft option, he was 100% a great recruitment and it's a shame injuries and poor development ruined him.

Great to hear Langford already showing he'll settle in fine. We've definitely got another gun there. So excited by what he could become. He said in an interview the other day he tries to play like Petracca, and he could become a gun mid/forward like Trac with time. Thanks to all the track watchers today! Awesome stuff!

He's a serious weapon and will drive our engine room for years to come. He's adept inside, outside, defending and in the air. Ultra consistent and no-one can stop him. If they get their hands on him, he either just breaks through it or has the Clarry like ability to get hands free and fire the handball off. He's super fit too, had one of the best 2km times at the combine, so will be able to step in straight away. Pair him with Windsor, Rivers, Lindsey and our midfield is set for the next generation after Viney, Trac and Clarry wind down. Others like Tholstrup, Kozzie and McVee will also contribute there too. We've managed to draft these kids all while being in premiership contention. Huge tick for our recruitment and list management teams! Midfields win premierships, and we've rejuvenated ours nicely.

Said in an interview he'd be ready to go for preseason starting in December. He'll likely be managed since it's his first one though. I'd expect him to play early next year and wager he'll be ahead of those listed very quickly. Salem struggles with injury and form, and I'm not convinced Bowey has a place in the team long term unless he can reinvent himself in another role.

Great selection. Been keen on him for months. Bont mach 2 and will be core to our next premiership midfield. Welcome to the Dees Harvey!

The clubs know more than Cal. Cals phantom drafts he shares are just a less educated version of what clubs have told him. They have zero influence on the draft. Clubs have lists of 50 plus with tools to alter based on factors like position, specific attribute, location etc. What we read and hear about is a fraction of it all.

In the unlikely event that occurred, then Smilie would still be there and would be a likely target.

I'm still worried he's a flight risk. He was WA captain and is from the suburbs not far south of Perth, so he's entrenched in Perth city. Whispers he's a flight risk too, so it has me spooked given gun WA players often heading home. He's got a great athletic profile, one of the best in this draft. He's more of a half back flanker though, hasn't shown much in the midfield and is a low possession winner in all possessions. We'd have to do a good job coaching him for him to realise his midfield potential.

It's an interesting one as no-one is talking about Travaglia being slow despite his sprint time for a running half back flanker being poor.

Where did the midfield talk come from? Blind hope? He's an intercepting defender who shows a bit as a leading forward too. He hasn't really shown anything as a midfielder, and has poor skills and decision making with ball in hand, so seems unlikely. It reminds me of the Brodie Kemp draft talk a few years back. He was a tall forward who had played tall back. He slid due to doing his ACL, but everyone was frothing he'd become a big midfielder like Fyfe. He's ultimately become an average third tall defender...

Sounds like FOS may slide to our pick. I haven't bothered looking at him properly due to assuming he'd be pick 1-2. He was awesome last year, but was limited by playing injured this year. Anyone got an opinion of if he'd be the best option at 5 for us should he be available? He smashed testing at the combine, so looks a great athlete as well as being a renowned impactful ball user...

Worth a punt with rookie spot. He did some good jobs shutting down highly rated ket forwards.

New favorite for pick 1. Make him a demon! 😈 I don't really see the movement part. Trapper had a more punchy penetrating kick too. Reid does have great decision making and good skills though and wouldn't be the worst option at 9 if we get a ball winning mid at 5 too.

Hotton would be a bold call for sure. I'm thinking longer term though. I think our windows shut now and we're building the core of our next premiership team. Trac did his ACL preseason and missed entire first year. Didn't stop him becoming a superstar and Norm Smith medalist. Hotton is a talent, but how talented is hard to judge.

5 - Smith, next best Langford 9 - Smilie, next best Hotton

He's an interesting one for me. Despite being labeled the big inside bull, on my viewing he's at this best on the outside using a side step and driving the ball forward with nice kicking when he has time. His contest work could use improvement. He doesn't have the same natural ability of a Smith or Langford to get his hand free and nail quick handballs. He's also not strong or clean enough in aerial contests to develop into a key position player instead despite his decent size if he's still growing. If his inside work could be improved with good coaching, he could be an absolute weapon. His ceiling is Patrick Cripps then basically. My fear is his floor is a tall average paced rebounding halfback flanker. I won't be disappointed if we draft him due to potential ceiling, but he's definitely a more risky prospect than others around the same projected draft position.

I believe because we've already traded a future first pick, we're no longer allowed to trade further future picks. Would have to check the rules. We're more likely to split pick 9 for two later picks such as GWS' 15+16.

The comparisons are being made because they're blatantly obvious. He moves exactly like Butters, down to the quick short gait in his stride, pivot of hips and spins to avoid tackles. He's not as penetrating of a kick as Butters, but he wins more hard ball and positions himself better. He was more pure clearance extractor earlier in the season, and so handballed sideways and backwards out of congestion more often. As the season wore on he altered this and by the end of it he was bursting out front of stoppages regularly, dare I say Bang, Bang, Bang style. He's rarely run down also due to having extraordinary reflexes like Clarry to get a handball off in the rare occasion someone manages to catch him. He's not the mid-forward bull JT usually goes for, but he'd be a worthy pick 5.

His awareness and ability to weave through traffic is unparalleled in this draft. The way he moves at such speed in traffic and zips around is eerily similar to Butters. He didn't test through the roof for the 20m sprint (was still good), but he's constantly moving at such high speed around the ball that to the eye he's the fastest midfielder out there. He's so strong through the hips already, if he can add some upper body strength in a proper AFL environment then the skies the limit. Not hard to see him becoming a Lachie Neale type midfielder winning a Brownlow. He's probably the safest bet in the entire draft to become a good player. He's a leader too, being a captain this year. Would be a good point of difference to the bigger slower Trac and Clarry types we have and could lead the next generation after them. If he fell to our pick 5, it would be a very bold call not to draft him.

Langford has better hands, is a better mark, and hits the scoreboard more often. Smilie a bit better on the outside. Langford is better on the inside. For his big size, Smilie tends to feel pressure around stoppages and often sags back and dump kicks long. Langford works it through traffic and finds options better by hand.and is generally more effective. Who knows if Smilie could improve that part of his game in an AFL environment though, which is why he's an interesting prospect.

He's not a mid sized forward though, he's predominantly a midfielder, and a dominant inside one at that. He'd be a weapon at bounces, not a liability. He's one of the best clearance winners at his level. He was top 10 at the combine for the 2km time trial, so he's fit and has a high cruising speed to make it to lots of contests. He just doesn't have the initial burst that some others do. His fitness, determination and footy IQ make up for it thus far. He projects as an inside midfielder who can rest forward. He's very similar to in style to Bont and Cripps, both are both supposedly slow too. Lack of burst speed didn't stop midfielders like Mitchell, Pendlebury, Selwood, Bontempelli, Hodge, Bartel, Cripps, Fyfe etc from being game changing midfielders. Assuming he develops well, it won't stop Langford either.

Great athlete. Not the best decision maker with ball in hand and average kicking skills, especially short-mid range. Could develop into an explosive inside midfielder. Could develop into a poorly skilled rebounding half back flanker. WA lad rumored to be a flight risk. Would be a brave call but can see the appeal also.