Lucifers Hero

Club Profiles and Rankings Not sure the average age per se means a lot but the profile by age group is interesting. We have the 2nd highest number of players in the age group 'sweet-spot' of 22-26yo. Second only to Bulldogs who have 22. Surprisingly, we have the equal fewest (13) of 18-20 yo so being ranked as the 14th youngest is a bit of a quirk of averages. If the number of players under 20 is a guide we can no longer say we are a 'young' team. While we have the equal highest number of players (17) in the experience 'sweet-spot' of 51-150 games we are still relatively inexperienced as we have very few (3) with >150 games. Interesting that the recent consistent finalists have 9-12 players there. It is interesting to see the bulldogs also have 17 in the 51-150 group with 10 of those having 101-150 games. When combined with their players in the age group 'sweet-spot, it wouldn't surprise to see them feature well into the finals.

I'm also on auto renew for myself and my niece. I think of those Redleg memberships as donations. Many would think the likes of you and I are fools easily parted with our money! Not fond of the 'bandwagoners' but they help with cash, sponsors, fixturing and FTA broadcasting. It was great to see them come out in force for the two 2018 finals at the G. Hopefully, the 'bandwagoners' will convert to members when we are regularly in finals, especially once they realise that without a membership it is difficult to get tickets to finals.

Anyone have any idea what our membership level is? The club no longer publishes on the website. A shame as watching the tally was a small interest during the off season. The first lot of roll-over and renewal dates have now passed so it would be a good guide as to how fans are feeling post trade/draft. This time last year the tally was about 30,000. I think we are a way short of that this year. Hopefully members get back on board.

Going by the table only 5 of the top 10 selected were ranked in the top 10 by Champion Data. The 5 ranked outside the top 10: Ash - pick #4; ranked 14 Stephens - pick #5; ranked 41 McAsey - pick #6; ranked 21 Young - pick #7; ranked 25 Henry - pick #9; ranked 35 So our pick #12 for Picket ranked 42 doesn't seem like 'reaching' to me! And in the 10-20 range two selections were ranked 59 and 110 and two weren't even in the rankings. I'm guessing the various phantom drafts would have been just as close (or as far) from the actual draft. While the phantom drafts and rankings are a bit of fun and keep the AFL in the limelight they aren't a great guide to what clubs do.

I believe it was Hawthorn and another club (either Port or Bulldogs but we were not named) that listed him to be invited to the first night flagging an intention to take him in the first round. So initially we may not have planned to take him at 12 but as there were two clubs interested who had picks straight after ours, we needed to take him when we could. To me it matters little where we took him. He was who we wanted and we have him ? Its a shame journo's keep saying he was a 'reach' and that Jackson shouldn't be pick 3. These kids were picked where they were because they were rated highly by one or more clubs. The media should get behind them rather than these silly post mortems on what they thought. No one cares what they thought...forget the 'click bait' and let them enjoy their moments of glory.

To post without quoting, scroll down the page and after the last post your 'avatar' appears on the left. Along side is a white rectangular shaped 'box' with a 'thought bubble' and the words 'Reply to this topic...' Click anywhere in the box and it opens up, then type away!

I wasn't specifically talking about trading in pick #8 or trading of 2020 first picks. I was talking about not having picks in the 20's. If anything it was the swap out of #8 that it may have been smarter to keep it till draft night or do a deal that gave us high first/low second round picks. Lots of deals were done and not sure the value of cherry picking a few. Lots of 2020 first round picks were traded but most clubs left themselves with flexibility. Port's trade was to protect their father/son draft position but they kept picks to live-swap with. The GCS was a live-pick trade and is exactly the type of trade we couldn't participate in because we had cashed our chips. I have little doubt we tried to do some live-pick trades but we lacked the right currency.

Overall we have 2 list spots available as either Senior List or Rookies. We can't delist a Rookie but we can upgrade one or we can opt not to take Brown or Bennell. There is no hurry to decide on them.

I thought we did very well. Happy with our 3 picks. We will be a much better balanced team and the quality of our starting 22 will be quite different by end of this year. Its worth noting that some heavy live-pick trading was done with picks in the 20's and very good deals struck (and I'm filthy on Geelong getting GCS's 2020 pick #11 and #64 for their #27). We couldn't play at that table as we had no picks in the 20's (or able to use 2020 pick of any value to package up). We always knew pick 28 would slide to the low 30's because of the Academy and F/S players before then. It shows the need to keep some early second round picks because once round 1 is over teams want to get their fave player that slid down the order, ala Lions and GCS and they will pay up. Some canny plays went down in the second round. We may have snookered ourselves a little bit by swapping picks too early in the trade, pre draft periods. Not sure we gained full value from them. We will learn from it.

Fox said the AFL needs to tick off the pick swaps and because it was complicated (apparently) it took some time. But it doesn't look complicated so it could be 'rules on the fly'!!

Live pick trading has certainly added a bit of a buzz to draft night. Usually it is fairly boring after round 1. Watching the Lions try to make a pick swap to get the points to match the bid on Coleman is very entertaining!

Rivers: STRENGTHS Balance Leadership Positioning Footy smarts Spread Class IMPROVEMENTS Locking down one position Endurance Sounds good to me! Especially the footy smarts and class. Shifter just said he is good on the outside. Ticks a few boxes for us.

The AFL won't do it but should be investigated as a totally unbalanced trade be it draft points or access to top talent vs taking leftovers later in the draft!

Do you mean the approval to trade #11 when the AFL handed it out or do you mean they approved that ridiculously unbalanced trade with Geelong? As part of the AFL package their Academy players don't go into the draft - ie they get them for no draft pick.

Kozzie is a Noongar man as is Harley Bennell. There have been and are many AFL players are Noongar men. A few notables: Polly Farmer, Buddy, Barry Cable, Nicky Winmar, Garlett, Matera, Bennell, Jetta, Pickett, Krakouer, Burgoyne, Ryder and the list goes on. Lots of people for young Kozzy to draw inspiration from.

Shorter breaks will be a real disadvantage to young teams, especially in finals. Expect a lot of 4th quarter fade outs.

Given that we passed the next likely was Sydney at #5 but was taken at #10. Draft Points: Pick 5: 1,878 Pick 10: 1,395 Diff (max deficit): 483 pts = pick 37. Other clubs with an early bid (Crows/Freo) had their own agendas. Had they bid on Green the Diff/max deficit would be smaller than above (and the value pick equivalent could be pick #67). There was no real 'hurt' factor to GWS. No real incentive for other clubs to bid.

Any idea how Carlton got live pick 20? Pick 22 was the pick in the swap being GCS's end of first round pp pick from the AFL? Was there another swap somewhere? A swap with Port at some stage, they haven't used what was pick 18 and now have pick 22?

AFL Twitter has come to life: Cal Twomey's intel suggests the Blues' bidding spree is an attempt to buy time as they look for a pick swap... foiled by GWS who matched the bid quickly and started the clock on the next trade \. Edit: Carlton swapped with GCS who now have pick 11 who selected Flanders. (Gold Coast receive picks No.11 and 62 from Carlton for picks No.17 and 22). Good deal for Carlton!

AFL website/twitter is useless. HS website showing Adelaide/Carlton discussing pick swap and GWS and Pies have done a pick swap. No details as can't get behind pay wall. AFL really needs to lift its game!

Dylan Stephens by Sydney a bit of a surprise. Really opens up picks 6 to 15! There was a pick swap there of later picks - anyone catch what/who it was?

A bit late given that all the pre-season fitness and conditioning programs were designed eons ago for a 20min break. The AFLPA and the AFL want to shorten games but this seems more a back door way of fatiguing players so that the last quarter opens up. Lots of other ways to shorten games: umpries bounce the ball rather than wait for ruckmen to nominate, speed up score review, not wait for broadcasters to run their ads after goals, change the 'time-on' rule etc etc.

I shall rephrase - first round ends when the holder of Richmond's first round pick drafts a player.

After the premiers, Richmond has had its first pick.

The assumption that GWS want Green so badly is the issue. According to some reports they don't and will let us keep him. If they do want him badly, GWS can swap pick 4 (after our bid) for another club's 2020 first round pick and a swag of later 2020 picks. Several clubs have 2 first round and multiple later round picks in 2020 which they could use to swap for #4 and stay within AFL rules eg Brisbane and maybe North). Or swap #4 for a club's 3rd/4th round picks this year and their 2020 first round pick. So GWS use rubbish picks this year, go into deficit and get the extra first round player next year. GWS may go into deficit but I read somewhere that swapped/traded in picks aren't used to make up a deficit; only natural picks. So GWS won't be using #4 on Green no matter what we do. The risk for us is we miss out on the player we really want. The only difference if we bid is that Ash (or whoever) stays in the pool. BTW, Sydney yesterday said they won't bid on Green at 5 and some phantom draft watchers see him sliding to our pick 10. I reckon most clubs have moved on from 'forcing' GWS to pay a 'fair' price because they have - GWS gave up 3 first round picks to get 4: 12 and 18 to saints for 6 then it and their 2020 first round pick to the Crows for 4. Other than who we take, where Green is called is one of the more interesting things in the draft.