DeeSpencer

He’s one of those players who’s too good for the VFL, but the issue I have is his best footy comes as an intercepting 3rd tall and we already have Lever as well as developing Disco Turner for that role. He’s not going to keep up with nippy smalls in a back pocket. He’s not going to man good key forwards one on one deep. And he doesn’t provide the run we need as a back flanker.

The Eagles will offer it for every spot that Curtin is available, but I’m not convinced we take it. Especially not straight up. That said, if there’s no one left that we rate in the elite crop we have a choice to make between: 1. Moving back the prized part of the Jackson trade back one year further 2. Taking Curtin who seems to be increasing his flight risk level to a fairly high level, which means he could be gone inside 3 years. Could all be rubbish, but the player manager played his cards strongly. Im always of the belief you draft interstate talent unless you think it’s inevitable. Curtin could be flirting with it. Only those with inside knowledge would know. I’m hoping JT and Co have someone else in the top bracket they want instead and take the pick.

Reid, Walter, McKercher, Duursma Hawks: Watson Dogs: Sanders Dees: Caddy or Curtin GWS: Windsor, (Caddy taken) or Curtin Geel: Curtin/(Caddy taken)/ O’Sullivan/ Wilson/ Leake Ess: O’Sullivan/(Windsor, Caddy taken)/Wilson/Hardeman Adel: Wilson/O’Sullivan (taken) With an Ethan Read bid some where. Rough attempt at amalgamating your mail with Cal Twomey’s. If the Hawks and Dogs picks start to filter through before the draft the focus will switch towards our choice. Curtin seems the hardest to place, could go 5, 7-13. Us and GWS might prioritise needs, so my guess is the Cats grab him.

I’ve watched a couple of the full allies game replays as well as the video compilations that aren’t just highlights but are every touch and most involvements. Obviously I’m not a recruiter or an expert and it’s not the same as watching live. He’s a really good zoning player who gets to the right spots but in terms of true aerial work he’s got a lot to improve on. Junior talls are rarely great at it and some figure it out from a low base like a Harry McKay. For a top 10 pick on a key defender I’d like someone who displays really natural top end marking like a Gibcus or Jake Lever. Just go through the videos and chart every time he’s involved in a pack or one on one under a high ball and the number of times he takes a mark or gets a clean spoil on the ball.

I can see some parallels with Kossie with Collard rising up draft boards despite limited output in his draft year. Genuine goal kicking X factor is hard to find and Collard had a big finish to the year. Kossie was quiet in the national champs, but was playing his role in SANFL ressies and even had a go in the seniors. Plus school footy. Collard couldn’t catch a cold in the national champs and took a while to put it together at WAFL Colts level. That’s a level that any top draft pick should really dominate at. He looks to have a good spread of attributes - clean skills, pace, decent size for a small and overhead ability. But is there one standout ability? I think he’s good but not quite good enough for a top 15 pick especially if there’s doubts on his maturity and ability to relocate.

McVee has excellent agility, it’s probably his equal best strength as a player to go with his defensive discipline. I don’t think he has contested ball strength nor accumulation to play midfield, but it’s also his first year at afl level so there’s no rush. Makes far more sense to try Riv who’s bigger, stronger, more established.

Dolphins Giants Chargers

And at the same time someone bumps a Schwab thread we are fiddling around with logos again

As I’ve said in other threads where this has come up I’d only do it if 1. The eagles offer a second rounder with their future first 2. we don’t rate the talent available at 6. 3. we can use our future first and an Eagles second rounder to end the draft night with say picks 8 (11 + eagles second) and 17 (future first and 42). Given we traded up for 11 the indication has to be that we like the top 11 in this draft and we aren’t going to sit it out.

I didn’t mind Watt for Campbell. Watt looked good for me and it’s been a long year for Campbell. Plan might’ve been to use Pearce forward more too. Ivey for Wilson was very strange. Paxy a late out, I would’ve bought Wilson back in and sent Ivey forward. But no good options there given we likely didn’t have any runners as emergencies. Need Paxy, Aimee Mackin, Colvin and Gay back next week if possible with hopefully just Watt out injured. Gall, Ivey, Fitzsimon (unlucky) make way. Can Sheriff play 3rd wing and Banno go deep forward and get them out the back?? Bannan is ineffectual on the wing and high half forward, needs to be able to do her out the back runs. FB: Gillard Colvin HB: Goldy Birch Gay C; Mackin Heath McNamara HF: Paxy Harris Mithen FF: Zanks Hore Foll: Pearce Purcell Hanks Int: Chappy Banno Sherriff A. Mack West

[censored] me, that non holding the ball

Lions defender was 2 feet from the kick off the ground

Finally a Hanks holding free. Only 3/4 too late

Just hasn’t been Eliza West’s season and we don’t have the mids to replace her or cover her against the best sides.

Spare behind the ball was smart in q1 but it’s a bit soft now. Play to win and test the backline out, back them in to fight through it

Our mids aren’t disciplined at stoppages, they’re all getting caught goal side. I know they need her down back and are scared of the Lions pace but Heath almost has to go on ball for more accountability.

I swear Kate Hore has kicked 20 amazing goals this year and is 0.8 from running in to an open goal

If Hanks gets a week for that we are in trouble

Another Birch cheap shot after being beaten in the contest. Just a very difficult player to barrack for

Should’ve spoiled it anyway but Zanker being on the mark rather than the goal line is an inexperienced ruck mistake and poor communication

Harris of course, remains a strong contender for players who like it on their own terms

Whilst no one will ever overtake Birch, Bannan has rocketed herself to 2nd place in cat watch. Any chance she could halve a contest?

Harley Reid, McKercher or Duursma aside if you're looking for a player with similar damaging midfield style to Butters in this draft then the hope would be Nick Watson can overcome his lack of size to do more in the midfield or at least up the ground. Or you'd be looking for Ryley Sanders to add more creativity because he's already very good at quick accurate disposals. Darcy Wilson has the athleticism of Butters and can at times be creative but I think he's better when he keeps it simple. Jake Rogers is more skilled than he gets credit for too. Otherwise I think you'll have to go all the way out to someone like my favourite Phoenix Gothard who's very much a small forward and hope you can develop his contested game. It's such a thin list of midfielders yet alone guys with Butters' combination of skills and evasiveness.

https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/zak-butters/ This is a much better write up that accurately sums up Butters' creativity and potential for damage with the ball, his athleticism and his potential. In terms of whether he compares with Leake or Windsor I'd say he's not similar to either but Leake is the one who - whilst stylistically is much different - has a similar potential for impact in that he does dynamic things with a degree of class and could make a big impact. Windsor to me is just a pure outside running player. He might be able to adapt that run to half forward or half back but what he does well is run the lines and kick well. He's a bit like a young Andrew Gaff or a more pure kicking version of Ed Langdon. Whilst there's a chance he could develop an inside game or some forward craft to add strings to his bow I don't think it's likely. The hope is he does his strength - run and kick - at a very high level.

Hately was an extremely well performed junior but so far has been too plain athletically to make an impact, his height was part of his potential I guess but overall his biggest weakness is lack of power. RCD had all the power in the world but not the footy smarts. Even with limited exposure Butters was better performed than RCD, but not as consistently good as Hately. Quicker, smarter, more skilled than both obviously.