DeeSpencer

Bruce Reville just played in a flag. If he can do it so can Culley. I have my doubts on Culley, he has to be really sharp defensively or he’ll keep getting caught out for pace. But he also did about 1 in 3 sessions last year then got injured. He looks fitter already this year. And it’s all hypothetical anyway. Who cares about who is in our best team if we’re good again. The more important thing is getting better.

I’m low on Steele but we can only hope it’s not that bad.

Fartlek in small groups now. JVR in with Langford and tasked with trying to keep up with Kolt, Culley and Windsor. Probably 30m off after a few laps. Jeffo right on the back of AJ putting 15m on Howes. Kentfield putting 40m on Lindsay and Adams. Time will tell if these young key forwards are any good but looks like they’ve all put the work in.

Match sim (minus the rehab guys, Berry, Mentha, Melk) is designed around white exiting 50, kicking it up to Nath Jones to spoil and then a quick counter from half back to score (hopefully). In to the corridor then long and deep inside 50 (to advantage) seems the aim. A couple of Sharp turnovers (before some better moments). Howes and Lindsay prominent.

Repeat sprints for half, repeat 200’s for others. Sharp, Sparrow and Chandler dominating the 200’s. Culley from Kolt the best of the sprint group. But like the way Jeffo, JVR, AJ and Kentfield powered on. Berry with a bit of a welcome to afl moment on these.

CJ and Hendo doing laps. AMW was in rehab, now in a small forward group doing snaps with Chandler, Fritsch, Mentha, Sharp Mids doing one on one ground balls: Lindsay, Langford, Culley, sparrow, Steele, Kolt, Laurie, Windsor, Salem, Bowser Talls are doing some one on one marking. Moose and Gawn. Mihocek, May, Melk in a little veterans trio. Petty, JVR, Jeffo, Kentfield, T Mc, Berry, AJ, Adams, Howes. Geez we’ve got some talls. That’s without even mentioning Disco and Lever. Petty and JVR both look leaner and to be moving better than last year. Berry is perhaps a little shorter than his 194cm quote, moves well enough and kicking from an earlier drill seemed good for a guy who hasn’t played footy in 6 or more years?

So is Josh Dunkley but he sacrificed his game because his ball use and movement aren’t as dangerous as others.

Thats more of an outcome based stat that one that shows how games are won. Because it gives no insight in how marks inside 50 are generated. If you purely wanted marks you’d just play 6 key forwards but it seems like pressure smalls generate turnovers that lead to marks. Where as tall forwards most important job in finals is to take on the Harris Andrews types and stop them marking everything. Winning the ball will always be vital in finals. But there’s a lot of stats now that show the game is heavily transition based, and that’s seemingly where the league wants it to go too. So I’d always be drafting for guys who win their own pill I’d also be putting a lot of weight in guys who excel at transition footy.

1 goal from 3 national champs games and only 9 disposals a game. 11 goals from 5 Colts games but not a big ball winner. Then I think overplayed in 10 wafl seniors games in his draft year. Maybe he lit up the younger years or school footy but he didn’t light it up in his draft year hence being overlooked. That said, I saw enough last year that if the mind and body are fully switched on he’ll at least have something to offer this year.

My issue is this, I don’t see Sharp as a Rowell, Neale, Libba, Viney, Serong level inside presence. Obviously he’ll be good inside. But I think his rugged look makes him appear like a gun inside player but he’s actually more similar to a Langford.

Whilst they might not be express pace McCluggage and Ashcroft are 2 of the best at exploding out the front of stoppages. And Brisbane often add Bailey on ball or up at stoppages. Neale and Dunkley I’ll give you but Brisbane maximise their value/minimise their disadvantages by Neale dominating in close and Dunkley locking down on the oppositions best mid. If we do draft Sharp I’d try to utilise him just as the Lions do Dunkley. As a defensive mid at stoppages and stretching opponents in space with good work rate and overhead marking.

Langford and Sharp are a poor fit. Hard to have more than 1 one pacer on ball these days.

None of them would be locks but all could. X Taylor/Farrow wouldn’t be behind too many for a game in our backline. Nairn’s hard to judge, depends how quickly he rounds out his game, but if he settled in quickly he could effectively slide in to Langford’s wing role.

Played wing, more Sidebottom than Pendles.

Do us all a favour and clip it up too will you! Or message the footy stuff guy and get him to clip those games and Farrow’s best senior wafl game!

Twomey mostly kept cards close to the chest for the phantom tonight. Cumming looking likely to Richmond. Essendon getting 9 and having Dovaston or Pickett in the frame (might also see them taking guys ahead of us and leaving a player to fall through) The other thing the likely trades indicate is no team put a first on the table for 9 or 11, so are unlikely to do so for 8. North’s future 2nd was the best option for Carlton.

I just replied something similar as I think it’s the most logical way to approach the process with limited resources. That said, I’m always interested in different approaches and the Rams in the NFL for example purposely don’t meet with players at their facility as they think it tips their interest and maybe more importantly just creates confirmation bias. There’s more ways to gather knowledge in the NFL but in theory you could do something similar here. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6271231/2025/04/14/la-rams-nfl-draft-strategy-sean-mcvay/

From the outside I’d be absolutely doing all I can to muddy the waters and obscure draft intentions. If I had to guess why that doesn’t happen I’d probably have it down to 3 reasons: Resources - recruiters can only meet with so many families, conduct so many follow up interviews and deep dive background checks. You have to do that stuff on your main targets and you can’t do it for everyone. The value of maintaining relationships with junior clubs and especially player managers. If you deliberately string kids along you might get push back and we’ve seen how valuable keeping player managers on side is (sadly). The Twombstone is just too powerful. He’s going to cotton on to anything that isn’t genuine, there’s not much point hiding it and even feeding the beast with some info helps get some back.

He’s better than both. He played really well for Casey where as Zane struggled (all be it in a harder role). Very high floor as a versatile player across half back, wing, on ball given his size, movement and ball use. But probably does a lot of the dirty work rather than being a star when he’s playing alongside Harley Reid

It would lock in one of Farrow or X Taylor, maybe both but I doubt we take 2 defenders. Not sure who our next mid/forward is to go with the defender.

I don’t see Essendon taking Schubert or Sharp ahead of us unless they like both, in which case they’ll have to take one of them. They’re in a good position to take someone else and let the guys we aren’t keen on slide. I’m even worried they’ll take Nairn, although they do have some similar types.

We kept the Nairn interest under wraps until fairly late. I’m still intrigued by who is next on our board if none of Robey, Cumming, Farrow and X Taylor get through. Might be wrong but still have a sneaky suspicion JT has another option if needed. Maybe one of Taylor, Harley Barker or Mitch Marsh.

Our best offer - GC future first and 37 - probably doesn’t beat either deal. We effectively gave up a pair of second and some to get pick 8 from GC. So we’ve already done that kind of deal. It probably isn’t smart to want one of those picks anyway. We’d just be drafting our 3rd best choice at 7/8. Better to wait and see if someone falls to the 20 mark and is available for a cheap trade up. Or wait until 37, where there might be a good option especially if bids keep chewing up picks.

Neither side giving up a heck of a lot shows you the picks aren’t overly rated but still rated enough to climb up. If I had to guess. Sharp for Essendon at 9. Thredgold for North at 11. Wonder where the bid for Dean comes. West Coast not getting their hands on 9 might tempt them to bid early. Otherwise Richmond or it will fall to us.

I wouldn’t be at all surprise if we took Talor Byrne with pick 37