DeeSpencer

Turf conditions looked far better than a lot of afl/w games. Remember round 1 v Adelaide? Not sure on facilities but it was very pretty and looked a lovely mix of stands and hills. The only issue was 8,000 just isn’t enough for a grand final. Perfect for home and away up to prelims, but for grand finals they need to get closer to 15,000. They’ll need a way to erect temporary stands like at the Grand Prix to get to that capacity. Otherwise future Queensland aflw grand finals need to be at the Gold Coast if the Gabba isn’t available.

They had 5 in the 22 under 22 to our 2 as well. Tahlia Gillard didn’t even make the squad. Today, she shut Wardlaw completely out of the game.

Come on Essendon. You know you want it

Westy absolutely stitched up

Optus, Adelaide oval, neutral matches at the Sydney Showgrounds, Casey fields and now Springfield. The Dees have many homes.

What on earth is that

How do you think the Geelong players will get to their free houses?

No discipline from Harris. Get her to full forward

BIRCH!

I agree, and I do think trades will come in to it if the order starts to deviate in that 6-10 range.

JT talked about addressing multiple needs with our picks, more than just a tall forward, and Ryan would certainly provide cover for the loss of Hunt and replace Hibbo long term as a medium defender. We could do with that combination of speed, run and good height for a flanker. Could be a wing option too. I don’t think a skinny frame would prevent him being ready to push his case quickly given his role, so he’d be a fun pick up.

You don’t want first rounders to pay for academy players. You trade out of your first rounders and pay for the points with 2nd and 3rds which I believe GC have already started stocking up on. They’ll try to load up on picks in the 30’s to match a haul similar to Ashcroft and Fletcher this year.

Not a knock on Flash, he changed the game with his run down tackles and paved the way for a generation of tackling smalls. But then he became a midfielder. Cyril had more physicality to his tackling and maybe a touch more ability to come from all angles, where as Davey was the kind of the chase down. I agree, if Davey had the luxury of playing forward in a winning side his entire career he'd be rated higher.

For a long while I called key forwards drafted outside the first round key defenders in waiting. But Lewis and Larkey have bucked that trend. Another option is Tom Scully, a proven goal kicker and a late birth day. Plenty of height to counter out not being the greatest mover. Would be worth it for the jokes as well. https://www.afl.com.au/news/856829/kevin-sheehans-2022-nab-afl-draft-top-prospects-tall-forwardsrucks Will Elliott could be a big chance too. His brother is looking good on debut for the Vics. Athletic pedigree. Skills. Could be a bit like Georgiades in 2019, with teams not so worried about the missing draft year.

I sat behind Dogs supporters who called Buku Khamis as CJ. Their own freaking player! But if you’re going to be racist idiots I’d say labelling Pickett as one of the greatest small forwards of all time and the best defensive small I’ve seen, isn’t very effective.

Sorry, Bills, Ravens, Chargers was the aim their. Brain went haywire after Ch.

Bills, Ravens, Chiefs

From the 2021 grand final side we’ve already replaced Jackson with Grundy which might mean one spot opens up pretty soon. Hibbo doesn’t have much left. Gawn and May won’t go on forever. Pickett not locked in long term. McDonald and Brown both big watch and see guys. And there’s a bunch of lesser guys from ANB, Harmes, Sparrow, Spargo, Brayshaw, even Rivers and Bowser who I wouldn’t say are 100% locks for best 22 at Melbourne in 2024 onwards. Im not trying to be negative I’m just saying teams change so quickly these days. If we draft good players they’ll play games in years 2-4 post draft. Whether they’ll highly talented skill guys or more role players still developing their upside. If they’re good they’ll get games once they’re physically ready.

I think it's fair to say it couldn't have gone much worse for Toump in year 1 but it was only 1 year before Roos/JT took over and our player development was immediately back on track. The Toump never got his hips right, including at Port Adelaide. And his kicking was nice but just not quick or accurate enough to be a half back weapon. Didn't show the contested ball ability to be a midfielder, where as even year 1 Daicos hasn't looked worried stepping in on ball. I think it's fair to say Jimmy was overdrafted as well as awfully developed in year 1. But Weid and probably Laurie are cautionary tales with this current regime. As are guys like Riley Collier-Dawkins, Cal Coleman Jones and Thomson Dow as top 21 picks to a Richmond program that otherwise couldn't do any wrong for 5 or so years there. Or Dyl Stephens being pick 5 to Sydney (if you want a high pick and a great club) and perhaps being the most poorly performed of Sydney's young mids they've drafted in recent years. 2 later first rounders to get up the draft is well worth a go. 3 is upping the risk and putting a lot of pressure on a player. No matter how slowly you develop them they'd still get the tag of being a guy who had 3 firsts spent on them. Suddenly you're back putting undue pressure on young kids again.

So the top 6 seems mostly settled. Let's assume Jefferson to the Eagles is legit. To me, that means Ed Allan has already been picked, let's put him to Geelong for the sake of the argument (could easily be St Kilda or Dogs): So we've got: 7. Hawthorn: ? 8. Geel: Allan 9. WC: Ginbey 10-12: St Kilda, Carl, WB ??? 13: WC: Jefferson So 4 picks and the following 5 guys: Clark, Tsatas, McKenzie, Hollands, Busslinger. We might have some extra homework to do if one of those guys are available. JT would've done the work on McKenzie and Hollands and be pretty happy I reckon. Probably wouldn't need to do anything on Clark, you'd just take him. Eagles need key forwards over key backs but it would be a surprise if they pass a local tall at ground zero of a rebuild. Saints, Dogs or Blues might've pounced on Busslinger anyway. Tsatas would be interesting, a very non Melbourne player. Trade out of the pick for a team willing to pay up, then trade back in at 19 for Barnett or George? I can see that.

I was told trade up was plan A but unlikely and trade back was plan B. It might be that trading pick 13 for pick 19 and something isn't possible. So instead we've got a deal with trading pick 13 out of the draft completely, maybe for a team like Carlton or Collingwood's future first. Then trading our own future first for pick 19 is how we achieve the effective trade back from 13 to 19. If we're keen to trade back (which makes sense as Jefferson, Barnett or George are a solid chance of being available at 19) then we need a host of options pre arranged with other clubs now so that one of them is successful on draft night.

Was waiting for the news to break and there it is. 190cm+, clean through traffic, long left foot kick, takes a strong overhead mark, great footy pedigree and is a super late birth date who's going to fill out in to a very big and powerful midfielder. I got a little overexcited about Ed Allan based on my own viewing but as soon as I heard the Phillipou rumour and watched more footage it's clear to me why JT and co see Phillipou as the player to target in this draft. Unfortunately it seems Essendon have come to their senses too, no matter how much he's tried to tank his interviews.

Whilst it included pick 3, the report also said 4 and 5. Logic (as well as what I’ve heard) says that we wouldn’t attempt to trade up for guys that North have already picked.

JT has: - made a bold move for Oliver - offered what would’ve been the Jacko pick for Zak Butters - drafted Jacko - made a really bold move for Pickett - made solid moves for Bowey and JVR at the back of the first rounds The case against is Weid and to a lesser extent Laurie. Although they were both the second players picked and didn’t seem specific targets like Pickett was. Strength of the drafts doesn’t matter because there’s no guarantee a team does a deal for a top prospect next year. It might be picks 8 and 12 but no one will give us 5 next year. If you’ve found someone you think is a special prospect and is gettable you don’t care that next year has equally special prospects.

There’s some character concerns stuff floating around, would you say that’s usually WA teams dropping a prospect back? Or is there something there?